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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE ELDERSHIP 




Vf 

^ ■ 
M:MrDAvis,A.M. 

Minister Ross Avenue Christian Church, 

Dallas, Tex. Author of "Change 

of Heart," "Queen Esther/' 

''Elijah," and "First 

Principles" 




CINCINNATI: 

THl STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1912 






Copyright, 1^18 
The Standard Publishing Qo. 



l^ 



€CU312222 



Dedication 



To the Forty Thousand Elders 

in the Church of Christ 

This Volume is Lovingly Dedicated by 

The Author. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER I. Page. 
Names Applied to the Eldership 1 

CHAPTER n. 
Qualification of Elders 8 

CHAPTER HI. 
Duties of Elders 16 

CHAPTER IV. 
Plurality of Elders 29 

CHAPTER V. 
Election of Elders 37 

CHAPTER VI. 
Ordination of Elders 46 

CHAPTER VIL 
Discipline 56 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Dealing with Difficulties 63 

CHAPTER IX. 
Appeals 75^ 

CHAPTER X. 
The Lord's Supper 8T 

ix 



A FOREWORD 



Before you read this little volume, please re- 
member four things : 

1. The dearth of printed matter on the sub- 
ject of the eldership. When we think of the 
important work of the eldership — his vital and 
God-given connection with the church — it is 
strange that more has not been written for his 
benefit. For his special work as a preacher 
thousands of pages have been published, but for 
the general work the dearth is surprising. 

2. The need of the field. Within this Resto- 
ration movement alone there are ten thousand 
churches, averaging perhaps four elders to the 
church, making forty thousand elders. These 
men are called to perform the most important 
duties known to the earth, and yet when they 
turn to the publishers for help, they find that 
they have been forgotten or neglected by the 
bookmakers. 

3. The aim of the author. In the prepara- 
tion of this volume we have not aimed so much 
at literary excellence as at practical value and 



xii FOREWORD 

Scriptural loyalty. We have striven in a plain 
way to apply the teachings of the Book to the 
every-day wants of the church. 

4. The spirit of the work. Some of the 
questions dealt with are controversial. These 
we have discussed candidly, but kindly, striving 
ac all times to avoid the spirit of controversy. 

Praying the blessings of Heaven upon it, this 
little book is sent forth on its mission among 
men by The Author. 

Dallas, Tex. 



THE ELDERSHIP 



CHAPTER I. 

NAMES APPLIED TO THE ELDERSHIP. 

The ministry of the New Testament church 
is fivefold: apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders 
and deacons. This ministry, as regards the 
character and duration of the work, is twofold: 
aiK)stles and prophets were inspired teachers — 
infallible fountains of light and authority — and 
therefore extraordinary; but evangelists, elders 
and deacons were for perpetual service, and so 
may be called ordinary. The first, aided by 
special gifts, completed the organization of the 
church, and started her on her world-wide voy- 
age of conquest, and then retired; but the sec- 
end, as permanent features of the Lord's 
kingdom, are to continue until the work of the 
church is finished. A great ship needs help 
in clearing the harbor, and so tug-boats aid her 
until she reaches the broad, deep sea, then leave 



2 THE ELDERSHIP 

her in her own strength to complete the journey. 
Even so, when the "old ship of Zion" was clear- 
ing the port of Jerusalem, she needed special 
miraculous aid: the tug-boats of the first cen- 
tury. But when once well out on the sea of Hfe, 
with the ^'narrows" of Jewish prejudice and the 
"shallows" of racial pride behind her, these 
miracles were no longer necessary, and hence 
were withdrawn. Since then, perfectly equipped, 
she has crossed all seas and entered almost 
every port beneath the skies, bearing the glad 
message of salvation to a lost world. She needs 
no miracles now, for she has on board the per- 
fected truth of God: that which existed in God's 
mind before the first miracle was wrought, and 
that which will continue to exist as long as God 
lives, with the record of the miracles. Scaffold- 
ing, during the construction of a building, is a 
necessity ; but when it is completed it is not only 
unnecessary, but is a hindrance, and hence is 
torn away. Miracles to-day would be a positive 
hindrance to the progress of the gospel. 

Our present purpose is to study the work of 
the eldership, the fourth office of the New Tes- 
tament ministry. 

NAMES APPLIED TO THE ELDERSHIP. 

The eldership is so wide in scope and so 
varied in character that no single term can fully 



NAMES APPLIED t 

describe it, hence several are used. Let us 
notice four of them: 

I. Elders. The first occurrence of this word 
in the Bible is in Gen. 10:21, where Shem is 
called the brother of Japheth the elder. The 
second is Gen. 25 : 23, where, speaking of Jacob 
and Esau, it is said that the elder shall serve 
the younger. There are many other passages 
where the word indicates that one person is 
older than another, but is silent as to the ages 
of the persons spoken of. Sometimes the refer- 
ence is to old men, as in the case of the elders 
of Israel, and sometimes to unborn babes, as in 
the case of Jacob and Esau. The original use 
of the word, then, refers to chronological order, 
without reference to the time involved. 

The first official use of the word is found 
in Gen. 50 : 7, where it is said that "all the serv- 
ants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all 
the elders of the land of Egypt,'' went with 
Joseph to the burial of his father. As an official 
term, then, it is Egyptian in origin. 

In Num. 11: 16, 17 we learn that the Lord, 
in answer to a complaint from Moses that the 
burden of governing Israel was more than he 
could bear, said, "Gather unto me seventy men 
of the elders of Israel . . . and officers over 
them, that they may stand with thee ; and I will 
take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will 



4 THE ELDERSHIP 

put it upon them, and they shall bear the bur- 
den with thee." Here Jehovah sets apart sev- 
enty men, called elders, to co-operate in the 
government of Israel. But we do not know 
the ages of the men. 

Tracing our word onward through the Old 
Testament and into the New, we find it used 
as an official title of great influence and au- 
thority. By their truth and traditions they 
swayed the minds of the multitudes, and molded 
the policies of the people. W. L. Hayden says, 
''As an official term the word expresses govern- 
ment by men of age, prominence, experience and 
wisdom." But this does not mean that every old 
man should be an elder in an official sense, for 
age is not always associated with wisdom. And 
often men young in years are old in wisdom. 
This may be the reason why the age of an 
elder is not given. "That man is old enough 
for the office," says President Milligan, "who 
has the wisdom profitable to direct all things." 

2. Bishop. Acts 2o:,28: "Take heed there- 
fore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over 
which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, 
to feed the church of God which he purchased 
with his own blood." Here Paul calls bishops 
those whom Luke in verse 17 calls elders, show- 
ing that the two titles were applied to the same 
officer. It is also true that the term' overseer 



NAMES APPLIED S 

might with propriety be used here. But in spite 
of the fact that overseers, bishops and presby- 
ters, in New Testament parlance, mean the 
same thing, it must be admitted that early in 
the history of the church the word bishop began 
to assume a meaning different from, and supe- 
rior to, the others. This, considering the am- 
bition of men, is not strange. When we band 
together for any purpose, it is necessary to 
organize. There must be a presiding officer. 
In legislative assemblies there must be the 
speaker of the house, and in the judiciary there 
must be the supreme judge. And after the 
death of the apostles, when corruption began to 
make serious progress, the president of the 
board of elders came to be called the bishop. 
Nor was it long until these bishops of different 
congregations began to convene in advisory 
councils and issue decrees regarding the faith 
and conduct of their churches. This seeming 
to work well, other decrees of wider scope fol- 
lowed. And soon, spurred on by the desire for 
pre-eminence, decrees, mandatory in character, 
came forth, and the full-fledged metropolitan 
bishop, in the person of the pope of Rome, the 
vicar of Christ, was born. Thus early was the 
divine method of church government central- 
ized, debased and well-nigh destroyed. 

2. Pastors. Eph. 4:11: "He gave some, 

(2) 



6 THE ELDERSHIP 

apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evan- 
gelists; and some, pastors and teachers/' The 
comparison here is to the beautiful life of the 
Oriental shepherd. Both the Hebrew and Greek 
languages are fond of the figure, and it has 
many applications in Bible history. No Hfe was 
more familiar to the Jew than that of the 
shepherd. It was his business to lead the flock 
into green pastures, and beside still waters, and 
to protect them from the wolves, lions and bears, 
always seeking their destruction. And if one 
was sick, or lame, or wounded, he was to give 
it special care, often carrying the young lamb in 
his bosom. And should one stray away and be 
lost, he was to go out into the mountains and 
seek it until it was found; and then bring it,, 
with rejoicing, into the fold. 

The eldership is to shepherd the flock by 
leading, feeding, guiding and guarding ; and this 
not by constraint, but willingly ; not for filthy 
lucre, but for love; and not as lords over God's 
heritage, but as examples to the flock. "And 
when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall 
receive a crown of rejoicing that fadeth not 
away" (i Pet. 4: 1-4). 

4. Teachers, Tit. 1:9: "Holding fast the 
faithful word as he [the bishop] hath been 
taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine 
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers."^ 



NAMES APPLIED 7 

(See I Cor. 12:28; i Tim. 5:17.) Teaching 
is one of the highest, most honorable, and most 
important phases of the work of the eldership. 
The Saviour is called by pre-eminence the chief 
shepherd, and the teacher, and the eldership is 
composed of undershepherds and underteach- 
ers. It is significant and suggestive that Christ, 
though the prince and model of preachers for all 
time, is much oftener spoken of as a teacher 
than as a preacher. The eldership of to-day 
should note this vital suggestion, and become 
students of the Book. 

It is now clear to all why these different 
titles are given to the same officer in the church. 
He is called an elder because of his age, expe- 
rience and wisdom; he is called bishop or over- 
seer, because he is to watch over and direct 
everything that pertains to the spiritual culture 
of the congregation; he is called pastor or shep- 
herd, because he is to watch for deathless souls 
as one who is to give account to God; and he 
is called teacher, because the church, like the 
students in a school, is looking to him for in- 
struction. 



CHAPTER II. 

QUALIFICATIONS OF ELDERS. 

Those occupying such responsible positions in 
the kingdom of God must be men of rare 
qualifications. By reference to i Tim. 3:1-7; 
Tit. 1 : 5-9, and i Pet. 5 : 1-4, we learn what 
these qualifications are. There are twenty of 
them — seven negative, and thirteen positive. 

NEGATIVE. 

1. Not given to wine. Of course not. A 
drinking man in such a place would shock the 
world and disgrace the church. Like Caesar's 
wife, he should be above suspicion. 

2. Not a striker. He must not be pugnacious, 
either in a material or spiritual sense, but always 
and everywhere a peacemaker. 

3. Not greedy of filthy lucre, or covetous. 
He must be "diligent in business, and fervent in 
spirit," but there must be no dirty dollars in his 
cofifers. He must not be overly eager to pos- 
sess, or carried away with avarice. Not a lover 
of money, but a lover of men; not absorbed 



QUALIFICATIONS OF ELDERS t 

in laying up treasures on earth, but striving 
to become rich toward God. Idolatry was the 
besetting sin of the Old Testament, and covetous- 
ness in the New is called idolatry (Col. 3:5). 

4. Not a brawler. Not noisy, or a wrangler, 
but quiet and gentle. Though he may often have 
to defend the faith, his manner must not be that 
of the ward politician, but that of a dignified, 
courteous Christian gentleman. 

5. Not a novice. Not a new convert, lest, 
being lifted up with pride, he fall into condem- 
nation of Satan. Timber must be seasoned be- 
fore it is fit for a place in a great ship or build- 
ing, and a soldier must learn in the ranks to 
obey, before he is called to command. 

6. Not self-willed. Not obstinately unmind- 
ful of the will and wishes of others ; but, while 
contending for the right, always considerately 
mindful of the man in the wrong. The self- 
willed man is sure to wreck the church over 
which he rules. 

7. Not soon angry. Not given to revengeful 
passions against one guilty of supposed or real 
wrong, but careful in words and actions in the 
hour of provocation. Anger blinds the eyes 
and dethrones the reason, and converts us into 
merciless tyrants. Like always begets like. The 
parent who rules his home in anger, sows the 
seeds for a similar life in his children. The same 



10 THE ELDERSHIP 

is true of the church, for it is the family of 
God. 

POSITIVE. 

I. Must be the husband of one wife. These 
words abstractly considered would teach that 
either celibacy or polygamy disqualifies one for 
the office of elder. But this is not true. Celi- 
bacy in itself is not an evil. Christ was never 
married. And it would seem that Paul and 
Barnabas, two of the most eminent men of the 
primitive church, had no wives (i Cor. 9:5). 
But polygamy is one of the worst evils, and is 
the fruitful source of many other evils. It nulli- 
fies the purpose of God in creation, when the 
first home was established in Eden with one hus- 
band and one wife. It is a foe to conjugal affec- 
tion. It produces envy and jealousy, and destroys 
harmony and love. "It is, therefore, probable,'' 
says Milligan, "that monogamy is here opposed 
only to polygamy, and that to free the church, as 
far as possible, from this then prevalent evil, 
was the benevolent object of the apostle." Isaac 
Errett says, "We take it that the import of the 
phrase is, that he must be, or must have been, 
a married man, with a family of his own, supe- 
rior to others not in having one wife, but in the 
skill and faithfulness with which he rules in his 
family. All the directions concerning marriage 



QUALIFICATIONS OF ELDERS 11 

in the New Testament are based on the idea of 
the union of one man and one woman. No man 
is taught how to behave toward more than one 
wife." 

2. Vigilant. Always on the alert to discover 
and avoid danger, and to provide safety for the 
endangered. The shepherd who was not wake- 
ful and watchful could not care for his flock. 
A sleepy saint is no match for a wide-awake sin- 
ner; and a sluggish elder can not cope with the 
enemies of the church of God. 

3. Sober. Free from extremes; rational; sane; 
level-headed : a man possessed of a large amount 
of common sense. This fine element of charac- 
ter will be in constant demand in the eldership; 
and he who has it not, though possessed of 
the highest culture of the schools, and though a 
man of piety and purity, is not fitted for this im- 
portant place. 

4. Of good behavior. Not uncouth or boor- 
ish, but chaste, courteous and polite. No place 
in all the world is more befitting the true gen- 
tleman than the church of God. This is true of 
every member, but doubly so of her office-bear- 
ers. 

5. Given to hospitality. His door should be 
wide open, and his hospitality so generous and 
genuine that his brethren would delight to come 
into his home. He should be a lover of stran- 



12 THE ELDERSHIP 

gers, especially of young men away from the 
home of childhood. Such recognition at this 
time, in many cases, is the one supreme need. 
Extended, and a life is saved; withheld, and a 
life is lost. The elder's home is the place above 
all others where hospitality should never be re- 
membered as one of the lost arts. 

6. Patient, Able to endure provocation with- 
out murmuring or fretfulness, and willing to 
wait for the slow development of Christian char- 
acter in his charge. No mother without this 
rich virtue can bring up her children in the nur- 
ture and admonition of the Lord. How great, 
then, must be its need in a family so much larger 
in number, and so varied in disposition. 

7. A lover of good men. His own life, mod- 
eled after the Hfe of Jesus, finds ^an affinity in 
the life of every other good man. He associates 
with bad men, as his Master did, only that he 
may help them into a better life. The company 
he keeps tells of the life he lives. He is never 
compromised by his companions. 

8. Just. An elder must not be doubtful in 
his dealings with his fellow-men. He must 
always do, or aim to do, the right thing. Such 
a man is an irresistible power for good. His 
words may not be many or eloquent, but his 
deeds, like the fragrance of flowers, sweet, pleas- 
ing, attractive and helpful, are known and ap- 



QUALIFICATIONS OF ELDERS 13 

preciated by all men — the bad as well as the 
good. 

9. Holy. Consecrated and set apart to sacred 
purposes, as the holy priesthood and the holy 
Sabbath. He should be known as God's man, 
just as the first day of the week is known as 
the Lord's Day. His motto, like the motto of 
Paul, should always be, "This one thing I do." 
His business should be to serve God, though 
he might have to make tents for a living. 

10. Blameless. Undeserving of censure, 
faultless, unsullied, irreproachable. One who 
gives the adversary no hold upon him; one 
against whom no charge of purposed evil can 
be sustained. What a trinity of virtues : "Just," 
"Holy," "Blameless!" Who is able for this high 
calling? Not one, except his life be hid with 
Christ in God. 

11. Temperate. Not excessive, lavish or in- 
ordinate, but moderate in desires, language, pas- 
sions, appetite and conduct; calm, self-contained 
and self-restrained. This virtue shades into that 
of soberness, and each is strengthened by the 
other. 

12. Apt to teach. Skillful in imparting in- 
struction in Bible knowledge; able to educate 
the church in both the doctrinal and the practical 
things of the Christian religion. The teacher 
in the schoolroom, ignorant of the things to be 



14 THE ELDERSHIP 

taught, or knowing them, but unable to impart 
his knowledge to others, would not be able to 
hold his position. Is not the church a school, 
and the eldersship its teachers? 

13. Of good report among them without. 
Those not Christians — ^Jews, infidels, scoffers, 
moralists — ^must regard him as a good man. 
They may not like his religion, but they must 
like him; they may not appreciate his theories, 
but they must like his practice. His deportment 
must be such that they shall not regard it as 
inconsistent with his profession; and should he 
personally try to lead one of them into the Chris- 
tian life, they must be unable to say, "Physician, 
heal thyself.'' 

Many good men, seeing this high standard, are 
discouraged, and refuse to serve in the eldership. 
Others argue that as no one man can be found 
possessing all these qualifications, a number 
should be selected combining them all, somewhat 
on the plan of selecting a jury. One man is not 
regarded as equal to the task of rendering a just 
verdict, and so he is reinforced by eleven others, 
hoping that in the wisdom of twelve men justice 
will be meted out to all. They claim that this 

15 a description of the office, and not the officer. 
But this reasoning is erroneous. The stand- 
ard, coming from a Divine source, could not be 
less than perfect. The Saviour in the Sermon on 



QUALIFICATIONS OF ELDERS 15 

the Mount, proclaimed just such a standard for 
all Christians. "Be ye perfect, even as your 
Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). 
When a boy is learning to write, a perfect copy 
at the top of the page is a wonderful inspiration 
to him, and no one would have it less than 
perfect. He understands that for a time he will 
not be able to reproduce it perfectly. But by 
persistent effort, aided by his teacher, he hopes 
to do it in the end. And so here, as everywhere, 
our Father holds before us the standard of per- 
fection, while he ever stands near to aid us in 
reaching it. And the time will come, if we con- 
tinue our efforts, when we will succeed. There- 
fore, the standard must not be lowered, but our 
lives must be lifted higher. 



CHAPTER III. 

DUTIES OF ELDERS. 

In addition to the Scriptures referred to in 
Chapter II., we must add Acts 20 : 28 for full in- 
formation as to the duties of the eldership. 
There are ten of these duties ; and they may be 
divided into two classes of five each. The first 
class relates to the elder himself, and the second 
to his flock. 

DUTIES RELATING TO THE ELDERSHIP. 

I. Take heed to yourselves, Luke, referring 
to his biography of Jesus, says, "The former 
treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that 
Jesus began both to do and teach'* (Acts 1:1). 
We see here that in the life of the Lord the 
doing came before the teaching: and so it must 
be with all who would follow in his footsteps. 
If an elder teaches his people to be truthful, 
he must not be false ; if he teaches them to for- 
give, there must be no malice in his heart. He 
must do these things first, and then his teaching 
will tell. 

Before his work begins, let there be a thor- 
ough introspection. Let the searchlight of 

16 



DUTIES OF ELDERS 17 

heaven be turned on in full force, that no sin 
be left lurking in his bosom. Let the prayer 
of David be his prayer: ^'Search me, O God, 
and know my heart: try me, and know my 
thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way 
in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 
139:23, 24). His faith must be unfeigned; his 
purpose must be unselfish; and his piety must 
be pure. He must be loyal to his Lord. Temp- 
tations and dangers will assail him as they did 
his Master, and if there is a flaw in his armor 
they will find it. He must have the courage of 
his convictions, and if need be, die, rather than 
prove false to the faith. He must be every whit 
a man. 

2. He must rule his own house well. Elders 
were chosen from the older men, and they gen- 
erally had families. And their fitness or unfit- 
ness for the office would be manifest in the way 
they governed in the home. The man who can 
not train his children in the nurture and admo- 
nition of the Lord is unfit to train God's children 
in the way of life. But one who can do this, 
other things being equal, is the very man for the 
place. Confucius says, "He who knows not how 
to govern his own family can not govern a 
people." And a greater than Confucius asks, 
**If a man know not how to rule his own house, 
how shall he take care for the church of God?" 



18 THE ELDERSHIP 

The home was God's first institution, and like 
its author, it is immortal. It began with Adam 
and Eve in Eden; it continued through the 
Patriarchal age, and made possible the Jewish 
nation; and it continues to this day, one of the 
most important of the conserving powers of this 
remarkable people. Many other things peculiar 
to them in their early history have passed away, 
but not this. It is emphasized and exalted in the 
Christian age. Christ came into the world 
through the door of a home, and his last act on 
the cross was providing one for his mother after 
he was gone. And when this world shall cease 
to be, and we enter upon the eternal age, it will 
still be a home, for we will then be in our 
'Tather's house." 

The home is not only first and last in the 
economy of Jehovah, but it is fundamental. It 
came before both church and state, and made 
their existence possible. And if they were de- 
stroyed, and the home preserved, they would 
be reproduced; but if the home were destroyed, 
all would be quickly swallowed up in hopeless 
ruin. What dignity and glory, therefore, to be 
the head of a home, and how fitting that one 
successful there should be called to rule over 
the church of God. 

3. Holding fast the faithful word. If the 
Truth is the lamp unto our feet, and the light 



DUTIES OF ELDERS 19 

unto our path (Ps. 119:105), how important 
that it be preserved in all its original purity and 
power. What sailor would dare an ocean voyage 
without his chart and compass ? and what would 
be the fate of him who would mutilate or destroy 
that which was to guide him amid the winds 
and waves of the sea? 

Paul said to the Ephesian elders: "I know 
that after my departing shall grievous wolves 
enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also 
of your own selves shall men arise, speaking 
perverse things, to draw away disciples after 
them" (Acts 20:29, 30). And John says, "If 
there come any unto you, and bring not this 
doctrine, receive him not into your house, 
neither bid him Godspeed; for he that biddeth 
him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds'* (2 
John 9-1 1). And we are exhorted to "earnestly 
contend for the faith once delivered unto the 
saints" (Jude 3). These bad men did come, 
and they are still coming, and they will continue 
to come till the end of time. The genuine man 
and the true doctrine, like a genuine coin, will 
always be counterfeited. The eldership, there- 
fore, must watch for these outside foes, and 
these inside enemies — ^w^olves in sheep's clothing 
— and protect the flock over which the Lord has 
made them overseers. They stand related to 
this flock as a father to the home, and they must 



20 THE ELDERSHIP 

protect it with the same fidelity and courage 
with which they would protect their own child. 
In this defense they must not be like ruffians or 
reptiles, but like valorous Christian soldiers, 
loyal to their Leader, and true to the sacred 
trust committed to their charge. They must 
realize that without this Word the spiritual world 
would be like the material universe with the sun 
blotted out; all would be darkness and death. 
The church would be like a ship in midocean 
with chart and compass thrown overboard. 

And there never was a time when this vigilant 
oversight was more needed than now. Men 
denying the very fundamentals of the faith are 
seen in the pulpit, the schoolroom and in the 
editorial chair. There is scarcely one such doc- 
trine which has not been assailed recently by 
these men. And it is doubtful if Paine and In- 
gersoll ever uttered ranker infidelity than is 
heard from some of them. 

4. Be examples to the flock. An ounce of 
example is worth a pound of precept. People 
are so busy watching what we do that they 
have little opportunity to hear what we say. The 
world is largely governed by examples. Chil- 
dren imitate their parents. Inferiors imitate 
superiors. Young men imitate older ones. And 
old ones are influenced by the remembered exam- 
ple of some strong friend long since dead. The 



DUTIES OF ELDERS 21 

daring deed of some chivalrous leader prompts 
multitudes to rush into the jaws of death. 

Who can fully estimate the value of a godly 
mother's life upon her children? or that of a 
great teacher upon his students? or that of a 
pious preacher upon his people? or that of a 
noble hero upon his followers ? Christ's example 
in the wilderness teaches us how to meet the 
tempter; his example at the Jordan teaches us 
the lesson of obedience; his patience with the 
erring makes us forbearing; his tears at the 
grave of Lazarus fill our hearts with sympathy; 
his busy life for others makes us unselfish; his 
prayers in the hour of sorrow send us to God 
when the burden is heavy; and his triumphant 
death on Calvary shows us how to die. How 
poor the world would be without the record of 
his example as he went about "doing good." 

An elder must be an example to his flock: an 
example in his chaste conversation; an example 
in his righteous conduct; an example in forgiv- 
ing love ; an example in his devotion to the Lord ; 
an example in prayer ; an example in giving. In 
a word, he must be able to say with Paul, "Be 
ye followers of me, even as I am also of Christ" 
( I Cor. 1 1 : I ) . "O ! it is glorious in honor," 
says O. A. Burgess, "but fearful in responsibil- 
ity, to be a Christian bishop." May our hearts 
yearn for this honor and responsibility. 

(3) 



22 THE ELDERSHIP 

DUTIES RELATING TO THE FLOCK. 

I. Take heed to the flock. The look before 
was inward, now it is outward; then he was to 
examine self, now he is to examine others. 
And his feelings at this time must be akin to 
that of a mother as she looks for the first time 
into the face of her first-born. What possibili- 
ties and responsibilities she sees there. She be- 
holds a spirit capable of becoming an angel of 
light, or a demon of darkness ; of mounting into 
the highest heaven, or of sinking into the deepest 
hell. What an appeal in this vision for her to 
he to this little one all that a mother can be. And 
so, when an elder, called of God, looks into the 
faces of his flock, his spirit must be stirred with- 
in him. Here is, not one of God's children, but 
many of them, made in the image of the Father, 
and destined to live with him forever, or be cast 
into endless outer darkness ; and their destiny to 
a large degree is placed in his hands. "If we 
work upon marble," says Webster, "it will per- 
ish; if we work upon brass, time will eflFace it; 
if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; 
but if we work upon immortal minds, if we im- 
bue them with principles, with the just fear of 
God and love of our fellow-men, we engrave 
on those tablets something that will brighten to 
all eternity-" 



DUTIES OF ELDERS 23 

2. Feed the flock. Nothing is of more im- 
portance to the body than the food we eat, and 
the parent who is unfaithful here is guilty of 
the blood of his own offspring. The shepherd 
who would permit his flock to feed on poison- 
ous food would be dismissed in disgrace. The 
eldership must see that the church is properly 
fed. This food is twofold: doctrinal and prac- 
tical. There can be no strong life without both 
of these. Those who want the practical without 
the doctrinal are like men who expect flowers 
without roots and stems, and houses without 
foundations and frames. And those who would 
have the doctrinal alone, would have pressed 
flowers without life, beauty, fruit or fragrance. 
As in holy wedlock, the twain are one flesh, 
and neither is perfect without the other. 

The doctrinal ought to include a brief but com- 
prehensive view of the Bible, with a clear con- 
ception of the development of the scheme of 
redemption through the Patriarchal, Jewish and 
Christian dispensations. The difference between 
Moses and Christ, and the Law and the Gospel, 
should be made so plain that no one could mis- 
understand it. The great divisions of the Old 
and New Testaments — especially the New — 
should be made to stand out with the distinctness 
of the divisions in a text-book on mathematics. 
The law of pardon as it relates to both the sinner 



24 THE ELDERSHIP 

and the transgressing Christian should be made 
simple as the alphabet. The place and purpose 
of the two ordinances, Baptism and the Supper, 
should be clearly defined. And following this, 
there should be a short sketch of the apostolic 
church as seen in the Acts and Epistles with 
an account of her corruption, and the "Dark 
Ages" following. And then there should be a 
brief account of the Reformation of the Six- 
teenth century, with other kindred movements 
of the time, and closing with a careful study of 
the Restoration movement of the Nineteenth 
century. Also a few of the strongest proofs of 
the Inspiration of the Bible, and of the Divinity 
of the Christ, should be given. All of this could 
be easily grasped by every one — even the busiest 
and the uneducated — and the average elder 
ought to be able to give it. Converts thus 
trained would be "no more children, tossed to 
and fro, and carried about with every wind of 
doctrine'' (Eph. 4: 14), but would be steady and 
strong in the Lord. They would be ready al- 
ways to give an answer for the reason of the 
hope within them (i Pet. 3:15). They would 
not be like the bright girl who, when asked what 
she believed, said, "I believe what my church be- 
lieves." And when asked what her church be- 
lieved, she answered, "My church believes what 
I believe." And finally, when asked what they 



DUTIES OF ELDERS 25 

both believed, she said, "We both believe the 
same thing." Such a girl, had her teachers done 
their duty, would never have been caught in this 
dilemma. 

The practical opens up a field which never 
can be finished, for it includes the things that 
enter into the full development of the Christian 
life. The foundation and frame of the house 
have been completed, and now it is theirs to 
finish a temple fit for the indwelling of God him- 
self (i Cor. 3: 16). They are now to strive to 
attain "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of 
the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4: 
13). And here the eldership should do its best 
work. These young Christians should be care- 
fully drilled in things spiritual as they are by 
their day teachers in things intellectual. They 
should be taught how to read the Bible, the 
importance of church attendance, the meaning 
of the Lord's Supper, prayer, praise, the fellow- 
ship, missions, Sunday-school and Endeavor 
work, the value of good books and good associ- 
ates, etc. Thus would they learn how to live 
and labor for Christ. Thousands of precious 
young lives are lost because they are not put 
to work for the Master immediately after enter- 
ing his vineyard. Do or die is the law in the 
spiritual realm as it is everywhere else. Satan 
is always with us, and idle brains and idle hands 



26 THE ELDERSHIP 

are used by him in the church as well as in the 
world. 

3. Rule well. We have seen so much of ar- 
bitrary power, and so much of the "one man 
power," and so much of the tyranny of creeds 
and councils in the history of the church, that 
we are liable to swing to the other extreme, and 
discard all power. But let us not forget that 
the kingdom of God is neither Republicanism 
nor Democracy, but a monarchy, with Christ as 
King. The organization is perfect, and the ruler- 
ship is in the hands of Christ's representatives^ 
the eldership, and he will not hold them guiltless 
if they shrink from their responsibilities. 

The Scriptures are clear on the question of 
this rulership. "Let the elders who rule well 
be counted worthy of double honor" (i Tim. 
5:17). "Remember them who have the rule 
over you, who have spoken unto you the word 
of God" (Heb. 13:7). "Obey them who have 
the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for 
they watch for your souls as those who must 
give an account" (Heb. 13:17). The elder, 
then, must be a ruler. Not a tyrant, cruel and 
heartless, lording it over God's heritage, but a 
father, with a wise head and a loving heart, rul- 
ing in his own home. And in order to do this 
he must possess in a high degree the three vir- 
tues: wisdom, tenderness and firmness. And 



DUTIES OF ELDERS 27 

when these are properly blended the work will 
generally be easier than we are apt to think. 
Most of the erring ones, if approached wisely 
and tenderly, will respond to the appeal. But 
occasionally this will not be true. The wrong- 
doer angrily resents the well-meant efforts of 
his elders, and repudiates their authority. Then 
they must be firm, and other methods must be 
used. These people, if not ruled in one way, 
must be ruled in another. The church, like the 
family, must have rulership, or it will have ruin. 
There are times when the shepherd gently leads 
his flock by still waters and in green fields; 
and there are also times when in the might of 
his strength he must tear away the disguise of 
the wolf and save the flock. Christ was gener- 
ally as tender as a nursing mother ; but when it 
was necessary his denunciations were terrible 
(Matt. 24: 1-33). When the temple was being 
polluted by bad men, and being changed from a 
place of prayer to a house of merchandise, he, 
with a scourge, drove them into the streets (John 
2:13-17). 

In view of the qualifications and duties of the 
eldership it is not strange that many good men, 
when called upon by their congregations, hesi- 
tate, and often decline to accept the office. The 
standard is so high, and the obligations are so 
many, so difficult, and so sacred, that it would 



28 THE ELDERSHIP 

be stranger still were it otherwise. But let all 
such men remember that the honor and reward 
are correspondingly great. In military life, when 
difficult and dangerous duties are to be performed 
the best troops are selected. And so our Com- 
mander tenders you honors and rewards richer 
than the world ever knew, and you must not 
decline them. 



CHAPTER IV. 

PLURALITY OF ELDERS. 

The New Testament church has a plurality of 
elders. Just how many should be in each congre- 
gation depends on circumstances. If the con- 
gregation is small, and the material for such 
officers is scarce, there should be only a few; 
but if it is large, and the material is abundant, 
there should be many; but in every fully organ- 
ized church there is a plurality. A few quota- 
tions will make this clear: 

1. "Then the disciples, every man according 
to his ability, determined to send relief unto 
the brethren who dwelt in Judea. Which also 
they did, and sent it to the elders by Barnabas 
and Saul" (Acts 11:29). 

2. "And when they had ordained them elders 
in every church, and had prayed with fasting, 
they commended them to the Lord, on whom they 
had believed" (Acts 14:23). 

3. "And from Miletus he [Paul] sent to 
Ephesus and called the elders of the church"" 
(Acts 20: 17). 

20 



30 THE ELDERSHIP 

4. "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that 
thou shouldst set in order the things that are 
wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I 
commanded thee" (Tit 1:5). See also Acts 
15:4; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 4- H; 5'^7> J^s. 5- 
14; I Pet. 5:1. 

This is in striking contrast with modern Chris- 
tendom, and shows how far many have wandered 
from the original model. It is common now to 
see a single elder, or bishop, with many congre- 
gations under him, but not the single congrega- 
tion with a plurality of bishops over it. And yet 
it is always true in the New Testament that each 
church had a plurality of bishops, but no bishop 
had a plurality of churches. The substitution of 
affusion for immersion is not a greater depart- 
ure from Bible teaching than is the modern idea 
of the bishop. Mosheim, the eminent church 
historian, speaking of this change, says, "Let 
none confound the bishops of this primitive and 
golden period of the church with those of whom 
we read in the following ages ; for, though they 
were both distinguished by the same name, yet 
they differed in many respects. A bishop during 
the first and second centuries was a person who 
had the care of one Christian assembly, which, 
at that time, generally speaking, was small 
enough to be contained in a private house. In 
this assembly he acted, not so much with the 



PLURALITY OF ELDERS 31 

authority of a master, as with the zeal and dili- 
gence of a faithful servant." 

The growth of this apostasy was as rapid as 
it was deadly. The ambition of men, and the 
love of pre-eminence and power, have ever been 
among our chief dangers. For awhile one bishop 
presided over each assembly, or church, and was 
called to this office by a vote of the people. He 
soon organized a presbytery, which varied in 
numbers, to whom he assigned their several 
tasks. 

The churches at this time were independent 
of each other, and knew nothing of any asso- 
ciations or confederacies, other than the bonds 
of charity. Each was a little government within 
itself. But in process of time the churches of 
a state or territory were formed into a large 
ecclesiastical body, and they met at certain times 
to consider their general interests. These as- 
semblies, composed of representatives of the 
churches, were called councils or synods, and the 
laws they enacted were called canons, or rules. 
These synods in a short time changed the church 
entirely. The privileges of the people were 
much reduced, but the power and authority of 
the bishops were greatly increased. But these 
men were wise enough not to assume at first all 
the power with which they were later invested. 
When they first appeared in these councils they 



32 THE ELDERSHIP 

modestly claimed that they were the delegates 
of their respective churches and acted only in 
their name. But this humble tone soon changed, 
and imperceptibly the limits of their authority 
were enlarged, and their influence became au- 
thority and their counsels became laws ; and they 
boldly proclaimed that Christ had empowered 
them to prescribe to the churches authoritative 
rules of faith and practice. 

The next step was the abolition of the equality 
which reigned among these bishops. In their 
great assemblies they needed a head — some one 
invested with superior power and authority — 
and hence the appearance of the metropolitan 
bishop. But another, and final step, was neces- 
sary. The bounds of the church were enlarged, 
and new officers, called patriarchs, were ap- 
pointed in different parts of the world, as heads 
in their provinces. By this time the people were 
helpless, and these rulers had become insolent, 
and they created a new dignity: a world ruler,, 
whom they called the Pope of Rome, the Vicar 
of Christ. 

The church of to-day should not lose this les- 
son. Centralization of power is as dangerous 
now as it was then. At that time it was followed 
by the "Dark Ages." This is its natural product.. 
Great power held long and easily naturally pro- 
duces corruption and oppression. This is not true 



PLURALITY OF ELDERS 33 

in the commercial and political world only, but it 
is awfully true of the religious world. And here 
is the danger in mammoth organizations in the 
church. Their rulers, after long service as 
rulers, being human, are liable to forget that they 
are servants, and arrogate unto themselves the 
prerogatives of masters. Examples of this tend- 
ency can be found in modern, as well as in an- 
cient, history. One of our churches, struggling 
hard to build a house, decided to omit her mis- 
sionary pledge for one year. The preacher was 
promptly informed by the authorities in the so- 
ciety that this must not be. He replied, telling 
them that the action of the congregation was 
not because of decreasing interest in missionary 
work — that they would resume their pledge at 
the earliest possible day — ^but solely because of 
heavy local pressure. In due process of mail 
he was informed that the pledge must be forth- 
coming, and that if he could not see that it was 
sent, they would find a man for the place who 
would. Is this not embryonic Popery ? When a 
missionary society adds to its legitimate work 
that of a pulpit supply company, ousting men 
who will not do its bidding, and giving their 
places to others who will, in principle, what is 
the difference between that and the work of 
Rome? The people with God's truth in their 
heads and hearts must rule, or the devil will ruin. 



34 THE ELDERSHIP 

The elders of the church are all equals offici- 
ally; but in order to the greatest efficiency in 
their work, they should have a simple organiza- 
tion, consisting of a president and secretary, 
and such rules of procedure as are necessary for 
such a body. Our representatives in the State 
and national legislatures are equals officially^ 
but they find it necessary to organize. In the 
old church at Bethany, Virginia, the eldership 
was composed of Alexander Campbell, Robert 
Richardson and Robert Milligan, with Mr. 
Campbell as president. In every body of men 
there are natural and educational differences 
in men, fitting them for the different phases of 
their common work. And so, let the eldership 
see that there is a division of labor. One man 
rules well, — let him be president. A skillful 
presiding officer, in the dispatch of business, and 
in the suppression of mischief-makers, is of 
great value. Another is skillful in keeping rec- 
ords, let him be your secretary. How often, 
when looking over the records of the congrega- 
tion for business or historical purposes, we see 
the need of a faithful and efficient secretary. 
Often the deed to property is beclouded because 
of this inefficiency. Another mixes and mingles 
well with the people. He knows just how to 
admonish the erring, to encourage the despond- 
ent, to comfort the sorrowing, — ^let his be "the 



PLURALITY OF ELDERS 35 

house to house'' (Acts 20:20) ministry used 
by Paul in Ephesus. The right man in this par- 
ticular ministry is of inestimable worth to the 
church. Another is "apt to teach," — let him be 
in charge of the Bible school. Another is strong 
as a laborer "in word and doctrine,*' — let him be 
your preacher, breaking the bread of life to the 
starving masses. 

How are these men thus working for the 
church, to be supported? Alexander Campbell 
answers this question as follows: 

"Elders must be supported by their congrega- 
tions, and that according to the usual principles 
of justice where service is rendered. 'The 
laborer is worthy of his hire/ and *who goeth 
to warfare any time at his own charges ?' What 
right has a congregation to devote their own 
time to their own private ends and uses, and then 
ask the elder to sacrifice his to their service free 
of compensation? A congregation may not need 
the whole time of all the eldership — nor, indeed, 
the whole time of one member; yet so much 
service as they need they ought to have and 
pay for. . . . We do not teach our own children, 
nor do we rule over ourselves in the State; we 
appoint teachers and rulers, and pay them for 
their services. 'Know ye not, brethren, that they 
who wait at the altar, are partakers with the 
altar r'' 



36 THE ELDERSHIP 

Here is the Bible truth of the modern and 
much-perverted idea of "the pastor." He is not 
an officer of the church different from the elder- 
ship, for all of them are pastors ; but because of 
special gifts, he is laboring in word and doctrine 
— ^giving his time to preaching. The obligations 
and responsibilities of an elder are his, what- 
ever we may call him. "His field of labor," 
says Milligan, "extends no farther than the limits 
of his own congregation. To preach the gospel 
to the heathen is no part of the elder's office; and 
to rule over other congregations would be 
usurpation. The elder who leaves his own 
church and goes to another, enters it simply as a 
private member. Just as the Governor of Ken- 
tucky would have no rights in Ohio beyond the 
rights of citizenship." 

This is the ideal congregation, so far as the 
plurality of the eldership is concerned; there 
must be two or more elders. But in a small 
congregation, where there is only one man fitted 
for the position, it would seem wise, for the time 
being, to have but one elder. The matter of 
qualifications is more important than the matter 
of numbers. "To appoint men without Bible 
qualifications," says Isaac Errett, "merely for the 
sake of a plurality, has always seemed to us a 
strangely perverted zeal for Scriptural order." 



CHAPTER V. 

ELECTION OF ELDERS. 

How are elders chosen? To those who would 
see the apostolic church restored, this is a ques- 
tion of importance. They are anxious to heed 
the admonition to Moses, when building the 
tabernacle, that he be careful to "make all 
things according to the pattern shown him in 
the mount" (Heb. 8:5). If Jehovah was care- 
ful about the building of this material structure, 
we may be sure that we are not left without 
sufficient instructions as to the building of the 
church. The point involved here is important, 
for most of the controversies about church or- 
ganization have come from the erronous and 
dangerous idea that there is no apostolic model, 
and hence the question is to be decided by the 
emergencies of the times and the good sense 
of the saints. In this, as in all important mat- 
ters, let the appeal be "to the law and to the 
testimony" (Isa. 8:20). 

There is no New Testament record of the 

election of elders. We are told that Paul and 
(4) 37 



38 THE ELDERSHIP 

Barnabas had ordained elders at Lystra, Iconium 
and Antioch (Acts 14: 21-23) ; and Titus was left 
in Crete to set things in order, and to ordain 
elders in every city (Tit. 1:5); but not a word is 
given as to how these officers were elected. But 
this is not an admission that there is no light on 
the subject. The light is elsewhere, and we must 
look it up. 

I. Example of the Jerusalem church. "In 
those days when the number of the disciples 
was multipHed, there arose a murmuring of the 
Grecians against the Hebrews, because their 
widows were neglected in the daily ministrations. 
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disci- 
ples unto them, and said. It is not reason that 
we should leave the word of God and serve 
tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among 
you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy 
Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over 
this business. But we will give ourselves contin- 
ually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 

"And the saying pleased the whole multitude: 
and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith 
and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Pro- 
chorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, 
and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they 
set before the apostles; and when they had 
prayed, they laid their hands on them." 

If there was ever a case when the selection 



ELECTION OF ELDERS 3$ 

of officers for a church might with safety have 
been committed to the hands of others, it was 
here. The entire college of apostles was present, 
and being under the infallible guidance of the 
Holy Spirit, their selection would have been free 
from error, and satisfactory to the people. 
There was serious friction, and party spirit 
would be aroused to the hurt of the church 
unless matters were wisely handled. And all 
had confidence in the wisdom and impartiality 
of the apostles. "Surely," says Milligan, "to 
the eye of sense and finite reason, the shortest 
and best way to settle the whole matter would 
seem to be that the apostles themselves should 
choose and appoint men to wait on the poor 
and needy." But they did nothing of the kind. 
The choosing of her officers was the work of 
the church, and they would in no way interfere 
with that choice. 

Here we learn how the deacons of the church 
at Jerusalem were elected. And since the prin- 
ciple is the same in the election of other officers, 
we also learn how elders are elected. This one 
example, directed by inspired men, and occur- 
ring in their immediate presence, should settle 
for all time the question of how to choose church 
officers. 

2. Example of the churches at Derbe and 
Lystra, (Acts i6: i, 2: "Then came he [Paul] 



i» THE ELDERSHIP 

to Derbe and Lystra : and, behold, a certain disci- 
ple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a 
certain woman, who was a Jewess, and believed ; 
but his father was a Greek, who was well re- 
ported of by the brethren at Lystra and Ico- 
nium/' 

Timothy was a young man of promise, and 
Paul, always on the lookout for such men to go 
with him in his great work as an evangelist, in- 
quires as to his standing at home, and finding 
him "well reported of," selects him for his com- 
panion and helper. This incident strongly em- 
phasizes the fact that the voice of the people 
should be heard when the officers of the church 
are selected. Not only deacons, whose work is 
local, but ev^angelists, whose mission is to go 
abroad and do a general work, were thus chosen. 
And in the case of the latter a plurality of 
churches should join in the recommendation. 
This rule should be rigidly observed to-day, for it 
would often save the church humiliation and in- 
jury. The precocious youth, gifted mainly with 
self-conceit and the "gift of gab/' would not be 
allowed to take upon himself the work of an 
evangelist, without either recommendation or 
ordination. This would be hard on the "boy 
evangelist," but good for the church of God. 

3. Example of the Corinthian church. 1 Cor. 
16:3: "When I [Paul] come, whomsoever you 



ELECTION OF ELDERS 41 

approve by your letters, them will I send to bring 
your liberality to Jerusalem." Here we see that 
the primitive churches selected their agents for 
any special work they might have to do. Paul, 
though the chief man in the kingdom, and pos- 
sessed of a miraculous endowment of the Spirit, 
would do nothing to interfere with the rights 
and responsibilities of the church. (See 2 
Cor. 8: i8, 19, 22, 23.) 

This evidence seems sufficient for our pur- 
pose. If the churches, under the immediate 
supervision of inspired men, elected their own 
deacons, evangelists and inspired messengers, 
surely they are competent to elect their elders. 

In the election of church officers prudence and 
"sanctified common sense" are all-important in 
the matter of details. In a well-organized con- 
gregation, the officers, after prayer and con- 
sultation among themselves, and with other good 
and wise men and women, should recommend 
such persons as are fitted for official positions. 
But in their recommendation there must be no 
ground for a charge of favoritism, or the sus- 
picion that any one has been "railroaded" into 
office. In matters so sacred there should be 
nothing like electioneering or "wire-pulling." 
There are many in large churches too young 
to act wisely in this matter except as aided by 
others, and some, though older, are not well 



42 THE ELDERSHIP 

enough acquainted with the membership, to make 
a proper choice. 

In unorganized churches, the evangelist, after 
prayerful conference with the wisest and best 
people, should have a committee composed 
mainly of the older and more thoughtful breth- 
ren, to suggest the names. By all means avoid 
promiscuous nominations in open meeting, for 
this is Satan's favorite place to make trouble. 

For what length of time should an elder be 
elected? The Book being silent on this point, 
"sanctified common sense,'' free from dogma- 
tism, must guide us. There are two answers 
often heard, representing the two extremes. 
One is: "Once an elder, always an elder;" and 
the other favors electing them for a term of 
years: one-third for three years, one-third for 
two years, and one-third for one year, thus al- 
ways having in office two-thirds of the board, 
men of experience. As regards the first theory, 
it would be just as sensible, speaking of the 
"preacher," to say, "Once a preacher, always 
a preacher." When the preacher ceases to be 
effective for good, there should be a change; 
and so of the elder. This first theory is somcr 
times plead by the very man who, of all others, 
ought to resign. He is self-willed, and is lord- 
ing it over the congregation like a pope. His will 
must be supreme. He is pre-eminently the 



ELECTION OF ELDERS 43 

^'ruling elder/' and frequently in proportion to 
his ignorance is his assumption of authority. 
Here is an actual note from one of this class: 

"Bro. .: We can't hire Bro. to 

preach for us. Some of the members wants 
him, but we won't have no man what parts his 
hair in the middle. Very truly, 

" , Rulin' Elder." 

What must be done in a case like this? The 
man must be removed, or the church will be 
destroyed. The people who made him an elder 
can unmake him, and they should proceed, with- 
out loss of time, to do so. The thing created 
is not greater than the creator. A large petition, 
asking for his resignation, ought to be suffi- 
cient. But if not, charges should be brought 
against him, and he should be tried. Paul said 
to Timothy, "Against an elder receive not an 
accusation but before two or three witnesses" 
(i Tim. 5:19). This shows that an elder is 
subject to "accusation," with the single wise 
precaution that their rights as officials in the 
church should be carefully guarded. An elder, 
in the faithful discharge of duty, is liable to 
give offense to wicked men by his rebukes of 
sin; and his position in the church is such that 
the welfare of the entire congregation may be 
involved in the disposition of his case, hence 
this precaution. 



44 THE ELDERSHIP 

J. W. McGarvey says : "It often happens that 
in the course of his career an elder falls into 
bad repute, sometimes unjustly, but oftener 
justly. Many churches are now languishing 
under the incubus of an eldership composed 
partly of such material, and they can never 
flourish till relieved by the death or resigna- 
tion of the unfortunate party. It is too hazard- 
ous, in such cases, to wait for death to bring 
desired relief, and voluntary resignations are 
least likely to occur with just that class of men. 
It is the duty, therefore, of all churches thus 
afflicted to call upon the party to resign the 
office. It is a duty of a most delicate nature, 
requiring all the wisdom and prudence of 
which the leading men of the church are capa- 
ble, but it must, at all hazards, be done." 

The least possible publicity in the case is best. 
Avoid public accusations and trials, if possible 
to end the trouble without them. The quietest 
way of reaching the result is always the best. 
Often an arbitration committee of wise men 
capable of judging between brethren (i Cor. 6: 
5) would settle the matter. But if necessary, 
the case should go before the eldership of sis- 
ter churches (Acts 15:1-6). 

As regards the second theory, the most serious 
objection to it is that it requires annual elec- 
tions, and thus gives to evil-minded men choice 



ELECTION OF ELDERS 45 

and frequent opportunities for getting in their 
evil work. Perhaps, on the whole, the best plan 
would be to elect them for life, on good behavior, 
subject to a change at any time according to the 
desires of either party. The wisdom of this 
plan has been abundantly manifested in the rela- 
tion of the preacher and the church. When the 
right man is in the right place, the longer he 
stays (so long as he is able to do the work) the 
stronger he becomes. This is true of states- 
men, doctors, lawyers, merchants, teachers and 
preachers, and why should it not be true of 
elders? This writer, after a third of a century 
in the pulpit, always employed on this plan, 
would give it the heartiest endorsement ; and his 
testimony would but echo the sentiments of 
most of the preachers in the most important 
pulpits of the land. 



CHAPTER VI. 

ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 

The elders having been duly elected by the 
church, they should next be ordained, or set 
apart to their new work by a solemn and im- 
pressive ceremony. By common consent this 
seems to be appropriate on such occasions. The 
President of the nation, the Governors of 
States, the presidents of colleges, etc., are thus 
inducted into office. When Jehovah introduced 
Jesus of Nazareth to the world as his Son it 
was in connection with an ordinance which he 
made permanent as a part of all inductions into 
the kingdom (Matt. 3:13-17; 28:19, 20). 

Does the Book throw any light on this sub- 
ject? In the answer to this question ther^ is 
not perfect harmony. The discord, however, is 
not great, and no serious results have followed. 
Yet, it exists, and it ought, if possible, to be 
removed. The precise point of difference is 
as to whether elders should be ordained by 
prayer, fasting and the imposition of hands. 

We look to the Scriptures for light: 

46 



ORDINATION OF ELDERS 47 

1. Acts 6:5, 6: "And the saying [that the 
people should select their deacons] pleased the 
whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, 
Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas 
and Nicolas, whom they set before the apos- 
tles. And when they had prayed, they laid their 
hands on them," 

Here we see that prayer and the imposition 
of hands were a part of the ordination cere- 
mony of the deacons in the church at Jerusalem. 

2. Acts 13:1-3: "Now there were in the 
church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers : 
as Barnabas, and Simon who was called Niger, 
and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had 
been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and 
Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and 
fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate unto me 
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I 
have called them. And when they had fasted 
end prayed, and laid their hands on them, they 
sent them away," 

In addition to prayer and the imposition of 
hands, as seen in the ordination of the deacons 
at Jerusalem, we here find that fasting was a 
part of the ceremony of the ordination of Bar- 
nabas and Saul. 

3. Acts 14:23: "And when they [Saul and 
Barnabas] had ordained them elders in every 
church, and had prayed, with fasting, they com- 



48 THE ELDERSHIP 

mended them unto the Lord, on whom they 
beUeved." 

In this passage Luke only mentions fasting 
and prayer. 

4. I Tim. 4:14: "Neglect not the gift that 
is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, 
with the laying on of the hands of the pres- 
bytery/* 

Here only one item — ^the laying on of hands — 
is mentioned. 

Since these four passages are all different in 
their details, some have concluded that there 
was no uniform practice in the matter of ordi- 
nation in the New Testament church. But this 
is a mistake, and in the light of a parallel case, 
the reader will see it as such. 

In the Commission under which the Saviour 
sent out the apostles to convert the world, we 
learn that man must believe, repent and be bap- 
tized in order to the remission of sins, and induc- 
tion into the church. (See Matt. 28: 19, 20; 
Mark 16:15, 16; Luke 24:46, 47.) In the 
first sermon preached under this Commission, 
it is said: "Now when they heard this [Peter's 
sermon], they were pricked in their heart, and 
said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men 
and brethren, what shall we do ? Peter said unto 
them, Repent, and be baptised every one of 
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis- 



ORDINATION OF ELDERS 4d 

sion of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:37, 38). 

Here only two items of the Commission — 
Repentance and Baptism — are mentioned. 

In Acts 16:30-33 we have an account of the 
conver.^ion of the Philippian jailer. At the 
hour of midnight Paul and Silas prayed to God 
and sang his praises. The Father heard their 
worship, and came to the rescue of his faithful 
followers. He shook the prison with an earth- 
quake, and the doors flew open, making it pos- 
sible for the prisoners to escape. The jailer 
seeing this, and supposing they had escaped, 
and being responsible for them, was just in 
the act of taking his own life, when Paul called 
to him, telling him to do himself no harm, for 
they were all there ; then he called for Paul and 
Silas, and brought them out of the prison, and 
said unto them, "Sirs, what must I do to be 
saved? And they said. Believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy 
house. And he took them the same hour of the 
night, and washed their stripes, and was bap- 
tized, he and all his straightway." 

Here only two of the three items of the Com- 
mission — Faith and Baptism — are mentioned. 

In Acts 22 : 16, Paul, giving an account of his 
own conversion, says the Lord appeared to him 
on the Damascus road while he was rushing 



50 THE ELDERSHIP 

on toward that city for the purpose of destroy- 
ing the church there; and a great Hght shined 
about him, and a voice said unto him, "Saul, 
Saul, why persecutest thou me?" And he fell 
to the ground, and asked who it was that was 
speaking to him; and when he learned that it 
was Jesus, he cried to him, saying, "Lord, what 
wilt thou have me to do?'* He was told to go 
to Damascus, and he would be told what he must 
do. He did so. And after three days of fasting 
and prayer, Ananias came and preached to him, 
closing with these words : "And now why tar- 
riest thou ? arise and be baptised, and wash away 
thy sins calling on the name of the Lord!' 

In this notable conversion only one of the three 
items — Baptism — is mentioned. 

To the superficial reader there is no harmony 
here; and he is liable to conclude that the Bible 
is a book without system or order: a hetero- 
geneous jumble of contradictions. But to the 
careful Bible student no such conclusion is pos- 
sible. He sees in the circumstances under 
which these instructions were given ample rea- 
son for not expressing what was well understood. 
At Pentecost Faith is not mentioned, but it was 
clearly implied. The jailer, being a heathen, 
had to be taught everything. And in the case 
of Saul, his Faith and Repentance were im- 
plied, and only his Baptism declared. Thus we 



ORDINATION OF ELDERS 51 

see that in all cases the Commission was carried 
out to the letter. 

The same rule of interpretation applied to the 
passages on ordination, shows that the officers 
of the church should be ordained, or set apart 
to their special work, with prayer, fasting, and 
the imposition of hands. With the seven deacons 
we find prayer, and the laying on of hands; with 
Barnabas and Saul, we find prayer and the lay- 
ing on of hands; in the ordination of elders by 
Saul and Barnabas, we find fasting, prayer, and 
the imposition of hands; and the case of Tim- 
othy, we find the imposition of hands. 

And so it seems safe to infer that as in the 
case of the induction of the sinner into the king- 
dom of God there are three distinct require- 
ments; so, in the induction of saints into the 
official positions of the church, there is also a 
sacred and solemn ceremony threefold in its 
character. 

The ordination service, when a good man is 
called by his brethren to the high and holy work 
of the eldership, should be made of great value 
to both him and them. The congregation, fasting, 
assembles for this special purpose. After songs, 
prayers and Bible reading, all deeply devotional, 
some one talks about the character and work of 
an elder — a work superior to that of any earthly 
king; and another impresses the church with her 



52 'HE ELDERSHIP 

obligations to stand by him, as he strives by ex- 
ample and precept to lead them in the way of 
life. Then, with the hands of holy men upon 
his head, the solemn service is closed with prayer. 
What man fit for such a work, and what church 
fit for the work of such a man, could fail to be 
benefited by such a service ? 

The ordination of C. L. Loos to the work of 
an evangelist is well-nigh a modern illustration 
of primitive ordination. Having spent four years 
in Bethany College, and having given full proof 
of his Christian character, as well as his ability 
to labor in word and doctrine, and being of good 
report in the churches near Bethany, he was, on 
the first Lord's Day of December, 1849, for- 
mally set apart to this work by prayer, and the 
imposition of the hands of the eldership of the 
Bethany and Wellsburg Churches. After the 
character and responsibility of the work had 
been presented to the congregation, with the 
necessity of cordial concurrence and co-opera- 
tion on their part, the young man came forward, 
and kneeling, bowed his head, while the presby- 
tery laid their hands upon it. The entire congre- 
gation rose and stood reverently while all 
joined in the prayer for Heaven's blessings upon 
the labors of him whom they thus authorized to 
go forth to a lost world with the glad tidings of 
salvation. A charge, solemn and impressive, was 



ORDINATION OF ELDERS 6J 

then addressed to the young preacher, in which 
the work of an evangeHst was set forth with 
earnestness and power. After this all the people 
joined in singing the hymn beginning — 

"Go with thy servant, Lord, 

His every step attend; 
All needful help to him afford, 
And bless him to the end." 

Surely, after this, Bro. Loos must have felt 
as never before the dignity and sacredness of 
the work to which he was to devote his Hfe; 
and if, at any time afterward, in his long and 
fruitful ministry, he has been tempted to give 
it up, the memory of this solemn ordination 
service would have been a mighty appeal to per- 
severe faithful to the end. 

Let all who contemplate entering the public 
ministry of the church study the step well before 
they take it. Too often it is taken up and laid 
down with as little concern as they would that of 
law, medicine or merchandise. Under the im- 
pulse of zeal, but without counting the cost, they 
begin it, but feel no obligation to continue longer 
than it is pleasant or profitable to them. Like 
John Mark (Acts 13:13), when the way be- 
comes rough and dangers multiply, they turn 
back. There is no recollection of a solemn cove- 
nant entered into before God and men in which 

they pledged themselves to be true until deaths 
(5) 



M THE ELDERSHIP 

impelling them to endure hardness as a good 
soldier of Jesus Christ. They are unable to 
share Paul's feelings when he said, "Woe is me 
if I preach not the gospel." 

As this question is still in controversy, we 
close with the testimony of two men whose 
words will command the respect of all who 
know them. W. K. Pendleton, one of the most 
reliable of men, says: "It [ordination] was un- 
questionably done in primitive times, by the im- 
position of hands and prayer, either by a pres- 
bytery or an evangelist. The apostles, indeed, 
set the first example of the practice in the 
Christian church in the ordination of the seven, 
to minister on tables in Jerusalem. The church 
at Ephesus ordained, by this form, even an apos- 
tle, and set apart Paul and Barnabas to the work 
to which the Holy Spirit, had called them, by 
prayer, and the imposition of hands. Timothy, 
it seems, was thus set apart to his office, and 
as he was commanded to lay hands suddenly on 
no man, no doubt, he, in turn, practiced a like 
ceremony in the organization of the churches 
which he planted. We regard, therefore, the 
practice and example of the primitive church 
on this point as unquestionably made out.'' 

Alexander Campbell says : "Bishops should be 
solemnly set apart to the work assigned them 
by the imposition of hands, either by an evan- 



ORDINATION OF ELDERS 55 

gelist or by the existing eldership, accompanied 
with prayer and fasting/' Speaking at another 
time on this subject, he further says: "The apos- 
tles did express their concurrence with the peo- 
ple's choice by an act of this sort (imposition 
of hands), and when congregations were fully 
set in order there was always a plurality of 
elders, or a presbytery, instituted in each con- 
gregation, who always did express their con- 
currence with the brethren's call by the joint 
imposition of hands." 

It will be seen from the testimony of these 
eminent authorities that ordination was prac- 
ticed by the apostolic churches, and that it con- 
sisted in prayer, fasting and the laying on of 
hands. It is true that Mr. Pendleton does not 
mention fasting, but this writer believes it im- 
plied by him. And if not, he fails to follow 
fully the teachings of the Book. But Mr. Camp- 
bell IS clear in his endorsement, not only of 
ordination, but of the three items of which it 
consisted. 



CHAPTER VII. 

NECESSITY, PURPOSE AND SPIRIT 
OF DISCIPLINE. 

Discipline means training, and in its broadest 
sense, includes everything essential to the full 
development of Christian character. But in its 
narrow sense it pertains specially to the righting 
of wrongs. In its broad sense it may be called 
formative discipline, and in the narrow sense, 
corrective discipline. Having already in Chap- 
ter III. discussed it in the first sense, we now 
call attention to its secondary meaning. 

NECESSITY OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 

The analogies of life show the absolute neces- 
sity of discipline. If neglected in the home, 
children are sure to become worthless, or worse. 
If neglected in the school, idleness, ignorance 
and evil must follow. If neglected in business, 
bankruptcy is inevitable. If neglected in the 
State, property, liberty and life are imperiled. 
If neglected in the army, it becomes an unor- 
ganized mob, and an easy prey to almost any 

56 



DISCIPLINE 57 

foe. If neglected in the vineyard or in the 
orchard, in the flock or on the farm, bad re- 
sults always follow. Evil is always present 
where good is trying to grow. Grass and weeds 
grow in every field and garden, and that without 
cultivation. And when the good seed is sown 
in the heart Satan is always near, to steal it 
away, or to pervert it in its growth. 

If, therefore, we can not have a good son or 
daughter, or a good scholar, or a good business, 
or a good soldier, or a good farm or flock with- 
out discipline, it is not strange that it is im- 
possible to have stalwart Christian character 
without it. Paul says, "I keep under my body, 
and bring it into subjection, lest that by any 
means, when I have preached to others, I my- 
self should be a castaway" (i Cor. 9:27). 

DESIGN OF DISCIPLINE. 

The purpose or design of discipline is three- 
fold: 

I. For the good of the offender. A father, 
loving and wise, sees his son wandering away. 
He admonishes, he entreats, he warns; but aU 
in vain. The boy regards him not, and rushes 
on toward ruin. What must he do? What can 
he do ? There is but one thing to do : with tears 
in his eyes and sorrow in his heart and strength 
in his will, he must resort to corrective disci- 



68 THE ELDERSHIP 

pline. In this way our Father deals with his 
children. When Israel was wayward and 
wicked and would not hear or heed the mes- 
sengers sent in mercy to them, but despised and 
slew them, at last the Ijord allowed them to be 
carried into captivity, where, in a furnace of 
affliction for seventy years, they saw their sin 
and turned again to God and were saved. And 
so the church to-day, not willingly, but of neces- 
sity, disciplines her offenders. But the first ob- 
ject is always "to gain thy brother" (Matt. i8: 
15). When one is "overtaken in a fault," the 
spiritually minded are to "restore such an one in 
the spirit of meekness" (Gal. 6:1). And when 
thus restored, we "save a soul from death, and 
hide a multitude of sins" (Jas 5: 19, 20). Note 
these three strong words : "to gain," "restore ' 
and "save a soul from death." The reclamation, 
the restoration, and the salvation of the erring, 
so far as he is concerned, is the supreme object 
of discipline. He is not to be treated as an 
enemy, but entreated as an erring brother. 
Many Christians with dying consciences could 
be saved by such discipline. 

2. For the good of the church. To save the 
body we often have to amputate a diseased limb. 
The law of self-preservation demands this. And 
to save the church, the body of Christ, it is 
sometimes necessary to cut off a sick member. 



DISCIPLINE 6f 

It is an awful thing for a man to work the 
ruin of the church for which the Saviour died, 
and the Master has pronounced an awful curse 
on such. "If any man defile the temple of God, 
him shall God destroy" (i Cor. 3:17). Men 
who are making no eflfort to live the Christian 
life have no business in the church. They are 
neither imparting nor receiving good; but, on 
the other hand, both they and the church are 
being injured. In their hypocrisy their own 
lives become worse day by day, and their evil 
influence, like leaven, spreads through the 
church, and leaves poison at every point. 

An impure church can never represent the 
pure Christ. She is to be without "spot or 
wrinkle," and free from "blemish." She is to 
be "a city set upon a hill, whose light cannot 
be hid" (Matt. 5: 14). She is to be the "chaste 
virgin of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). 

3. For the good of the world. The most 
formidable barrier in the way of the progress 
of the church is not open infidelity: bombard- 
ment from the outside, but the inconsistency of 
her membership: traitors within the walls. An 
open-eyed world, looking for a practical rather 
than a theoretical church, sees this, and decides 
that there is nothing there for them, and so 
decline to enter her fold. How often, when 
dealing with such men, are we met with the un- 



60 THE ELDERSHIP 

deniable declaration that they are as good as 
Mr. A. or Mr. B., prominent men in the church. 
They are free from drink, profanity and hurtful 
lusts, and they pay one hundred cents on the 
dollar. In their eyes the candlestick has lost its 
light and the salt its savor. 

In most cases where such men, sincerely de- 
siring to become Christians, but hindered in this 
way, hesitate and halt, they could be induced to 
go forward but for this great stumbling-block. 
They are not reading the Bible so much as they 
are reading its professed friends. The church 
to them is literally the "epistle known and read 
of all men'* (2 Cor. 3:2). If they could see the 
standard of righteousness lifted again to the 
lofty plane where the Lord placed it, and could 
witness a firm but kind discipline, cutting off 
those who were making no effort to reproduce 
the Christ life, the effect would be wholesome. 
After Achan's death — a severe case of discipline 
— Israel rallied from defeat and marched to 
victory (Josh. 7:1-26). And immediately fol- 
lowing the death of Ananias and Sapphira — 
another severe case of discipline in the New 
Testament times — Luke says that "great fear 
came upon the church, . . . and believers were 
added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and 
women" (Acts 5: 1-14). 

Discipline is the most difficult and the most 



DISCIPLINE 61 

dreaded work of the eldership. It will likely 
make enemies, not only of the disciplined, but 
also of his family, and a circle of friends both in 
the church and in the world; and the man de- 
void of a strong combination of conscience and 
courage will fail at this point. But he who 
possesses this combination will do his duty re- 
gardless of consequences, and in after-life the 
consciousness of duty done will make his mem- 
ory sweet, and fill his soul with songs of joy. 
Duty frowns only when we flee from it; follow 
it and its face is wreathed in smiles. We can 
no more choose our duties than a soldier can 
choose his. It will often be our duty to do what 
we would not, and to leave undone what we 
would. Abraham became the founder of "a 
great and mighty nation/' and was known as 
the "father of the faithful and the friend of 
God" because he "commanded his children 
and his household" (Gen. i8: 16-19), and Eli 
brought down the condemnation of Heaven upon 
himself and his sons because he would not do 
this (i Sam. 2:27-30). "Fear God and keep 
his commandments; for this is the whole duty 
of man" (Eccl. 12: 13). 

THE SPIRIT OF DISCIPLINE. 

The manner in which we do things is second 
only in importance to the thing done. Our 



62 THE ELDERSHIP 

words and actions will attract or repel according 
to the spirit which characterizes them. We can 
grant a request in such a way as to alienate for- 
ever the beneficiary, or we can so deny him as 
to make him a friend for all time. Stern work 
does not demand a stern manner, but just the 
reverse. The parent who punishes his child in 
anger and haste deserves the condemnation of 
God and man. In this work the eldership must 
be tender as love, wise as serpents and harmless 
as doves. There must be nothing hasty or harsh 
in withdrawing fellowship from a member. 
Every reasonable effort to save him must be 
exhausted before we come to this. It is a 
serious thing to lose an arm or a leg, and we 
have to be fully assured that it can not be saved 
before we submit to the surgeon's knife. The 
spirit in which fellowship is withdrawn is 
sometimes the worst part of the whole sad 
affair. Surely, if the church ever needs a double 
portion of the Spirit of Christ it is when she 
comes to the solemn and awful act of excluding 
one of her members. 



CHAPTER VIIL 

DEALING WITH OFFENSES. 

Church discipline has to do with two kinds 
of offenses: private or personal, and public or 
general. 

I. Private offenses. The rule for dealing with 
private offenses is given by the Saviour as fol- 
lows: "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, 
go and tell him his fault between thee and him 
alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy 
brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take 
with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of 
two or three witnesses every word may be es- 
tablished. And if he shall neglect to hear them, 
tell it unto the church ; but if he neglect to hear 
the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen 
and a publican" (Matt. i8: 15-17). 

This may well be called a second Golden Rule, 
for it is so simple and comprehensive, and so 
righteous and reasonable, that it commends itself 
to every one who wants to do right. It involves 
four steps, and these should be taken promptly, 
for delays here are peculiarly dangerous. Many 

63 



64 THE ELDERSHIP 

an amputated limb could have been saved by- 
prompt and skillful action, and many lost souls 
could have been saved by a speedy application 
of this Golden Rule. 

The first step is: "Go and tell him his fault 
between thee and him alone." Many are the 
errors at this point. We often tell of the of- 
fense, but not to him; and thus it is published 
abroad and made doubly hard to deal with. And 
often, conscious of innocence in the matter, we 
persuade ourselves that there is no obligation 
upon us to go to the other party, but that we da 
well to wait in a kindly spirit for him to come 
to us and confess his wrong. But this is to im- 
pugn the wisdom of the Lord, and to rebel 
against his command. And, besides, it only re- 
quires a moment's reflection to realize that the 
innocent party, clear-visioned and stronger be- 
cause of his innocence, has the first and greater 
obligation upon him. His poor brother has been 
wounded and weakened by sin, and his vision 
is clouded, and hence is not in so good con- 
dition to do his duty as the innocent party. Let 
it be emphasized that the wrong is not to be 
published in the papers, nor even discussed 
among the brethren ; but face to face, and alone 
with God, the two must meet and talk it over, 
and, if possible, settle it between themselves. 

But if this effort fails, the second step must 



DEALING WITH OFFENSES 66 

be taken. "If he will not hear thee, take with 
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of 
two or three witnesses every word may be es- 
tablished." Much wisdom should be exercised 
in the selection of these witnesses. The wrong 
men will ruin everything, but the right men may 
save all. Be sure that they are fair-minded, 
peace-loving and Spirit-filled. Then, in their 
hearing the case is to be gone over again, and 
another effort made to settle it. 

But if the offender is still incorrigible, then 
the third step must be taken: "Tell it unto the 
church.*' 

And if he will not hear the church, the fourth 
and final step must be taken: "Let him be unto 
thee as an heathen man and a publican." 

If this rule was faithfully and kindly fol- 
lowed, it is safe to say that nine-tenths of our 
church troubles would never be known to the 
church or to the world. But so many will not 
follow it. A man in ignorance or in perversity 
seeks to ignore the first two steps, and bring a 
purely personal matter into the church. What 
shall be done? Must the church hear him? 
Here is work for the eldership. By no means. 
He must be shown his duty and urged to do it, 
and if he refuses, he must be dealt with by the 
church for contempt of the authority of the 
Lord. 



66 THE ELDERSHIP • 

Or, suppose that the offended party silently 
submits to the wrongs inflicted, would that meet 
the requirements of the Saviour? It would not; 
for in that case he would not be making the 
proper effort to save his brother. His patience 
is beautiful, and his lack of resentment is worthy 
of all commendation, but his duty to his erring 
brother must not be neglected. 

But supposing that neither party will do his 
duty, and the trouble continues, then what ? The 
church herself must take hold of the case and 
settle it according to the law of Christ, and they 
must be to her as a heathen man and publican. 
The Jew had no dealings with these people, and 
so persons who thus defy the church and bring 
her good name into disrepute must be cut off 
from her communion and must so remain until 
by penitence they can be restored. 

2. Public offenses. Public or general offenses 
are different, and they call for different treat- 
ment. They are not against single individuals, 
but against the whole church. The Book is clear 
on this point. Fornicators, the covetous, the 
idolater, the railer, the drunkard and the ex- 
tortioner (i Cor. 5: II, 12) must be put away. 
The idle and disorderly (2 Thess. 3: 10, 11) are 
to be withdrawn from. The heretic, after proper 
admonition, is to be rejected (Tit. 3: 10). The 
man who is false to the doctrine of Christ is not 



DEALING WITH OFFENSES 67 

to be received into our homes, or bidden God- 
speed (2 John 10, 11). From these and other 
Scriptures we learn that there are many public 
offenses which need the prompt and vigorous 
discipline of the church. These grave offenses 
must not be winked at, for they blight the beauty 
of the church, mar her harmony, and rob her of 
her prestige and power in the world. A vig- 
ilant eldership would no more allow such evils 
in the church than a shepherd would allow 
wolves in his flock. 

In I Cor. 5:1-5 Paul tells us how to deal with 
a public offender whose life was injuring the 
church. This was a notorious case. His crime 
was that of incest, a sin upon which even the 
Gentiles looked with scorn. He had taken his 
stepmother from his father and made her his 
wife. She was not a Christian, or Paul would 
have had her excluded also. The "bride of 
Christ" had her white robes tarnished, and her 
onward progress in saving souls hindered, and 
the apostles called on the church at Corinth to 
protect her by casting from her fold this vile of- 
fender. His case was notorious and unbearable ; 
he was polluted and polluting ; he was no longer 
fit for the companionship of the saints, and 
should be cast out into the regions of darkness 
with Satan. "It is reported commonly that there 
is fornication among you, and such fornication 



^8 THE ELDERSHIP 

as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, 
that one should have his father's wife. And ye 
are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that 
he that hath done this deed might not be taken 
away from among you. For I verily, as absent 
in body, but present in spirit, have judged al- 
ready, as though I were present, concerning him 
that hath done this deed: in the name of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered to- 
gether, and my spirit, with the power of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto 
Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the 
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 
Jesus." 

The results in this case were altogether good. 
The church was vindicated and her lost prestige 
and power returned, and the man himself was 
saved. Brought face to face with his awful sin, 
and cast out from the pure, as unfit for their 
companionship, and made to realize that the 
only suitable habitation for him was with Satan, 
like the prodigal son, "he came to himself," re- 
pented and returned to God, and was restored to 
his place in the church. 

Paul (2 Cor. 2:6-8), seeing that his punish- 
ment was "sufficient," and that without the for- 
giveness of his brethren he was in danger of 
teing "swallowed up by overmuch sorrow," 
urged them "to confirm their love toward him." 



DEALING WITH OFFENSES 69 

In the house of Grod everything should be 
done decently and in order, hence a suggestion 
as to how to proceed in a case of public disci- 
pline may not be out of place. If a member is 
guilty of any of the sins mentioned in the fore- 
going Scriptures, or any kindred crime, the good 
of both the church and the individual demands 
that the eldership should lose no time in dealing 
with the case. And when they have done their 
full duty, and find themselves forced to the pain- 
ful conviction that the offender should be cut 
off from the congregation, they must report to 
the church. And when the congregation is con- 
vened, with all tenderness, but with firmness and 
impartiality, they should briefly recite the facts 
in the case, with the evidence by which they are 
supported, and the Scriptures bearing upon 
them, accompanied by a recital of their own pre- 
vious actions in the investigations, when the 
congregation should rise, and while standing, 
should solemnly execute the law upon him who 
has violated it, the service closing with a prayer 
in which all remember at the throne of God the 
poor man so sadly in need of the help of others. 

Let it be understood that this action on the 
part of the congregation is not a vote to decide 
as to whether the man shall be excluded or not, 
but an affirmation of the action of the eldership. 
This eldership has been placed by our King in 

(6) 



70 THE ELDERSHIP 

the church as the ruling power, and so long as 
the ruling is in harmony with his law it must be 
upheld by the people. The action of Paul in the 
case of the incestuous man is in accord with this 
suggestion. He did not, by the aid of his mirac- 
ulous powers, pass upon it, but he judged it, 
implying investigation; just such work as these 
elders have done, and after this investigation he 
called upon the church to execute his judgment. 
The eldership, composed of material peculiarly 
fitted for such work, being men of age, experi- 
ence and wisdom, and being both teachers and 
rulers, constitutes the safest tribunal known to 
men for this difficult but all-important work. 
W. K. Pendleton says: 

'*When a judge declares a man guilty of mur-^ 
der and pronounces against him the sentence of 
death, he is legally dead; but it is not till the 
sheriff or proper officer has executed the sen- 
tence that he is actually dead. The concurrent 
action of both of these officers is necessary to 
give efficiency to the arm of justice; but in 
granting each his proper part, do not let us 
confound their respective duties. Because the 
sheriff must execute the decision of the judge in 
order to give it effect, and it amounts to nothing 
without this concurrent action, we must not con- 
clude that it is the sheriff's duty to judge the 
case, and decide what shall be done in the 



DEALING WITH OFFENSES 71 

premises ; and so, because the whole churchy col- 
lectively, is called upon to give efficiency to the 
eldership, we must not conceive that this is to re- 
view their decision and judge the case anew." 

Alexander Campbell says: 

*'As a sovereign preventive of difficulties in 
churches, an able, discreet and righteous elder- 
ship is one of Heaven's own ordination — an in- 
dispensable prerequisite to the good order, peace, 
health and prosperity of a community. This 
eldership must be devoted in heart, and set apart 
to this business under the solemn vows of fidelity 
to the King and his kingdom. When this elder- 
ship is in full and harmonious discharge of its 
duties to the Lord and his people, it must be sub- 
mitted to in all righteous decisions on the part 
of the community that appointed it. . . . The 
election to rule is, on the part of the electors, an 
engagement to submit to the elected. On any 
other hypothesis an election or ordination is a 
force. . . . There never was a community that 
got along peaceably and profitably for any length 
of time that presumed to settle all matters of 
discipline by a public vote in a public assembly. 
• . . No family, church or State could be long 
kept in order, in harmony and in love under such 
an economy. . . . Now, if it be no disparagement 
to our rank as citizens of the State that we sub- 
mit to the officers whom we ourselves have 



72 THE ELDERSHIP 

created, can it be any diminution of our Chris- 
tian dignity to obey our own ecclesiastical rulers 
who, under the Lord, are over us for our good ?" 

There are several objections urged against 
church discipline. For want of space, we only 
examine the main one, assured if that can not 
stand the others will also fail. 

The parable of the tares (Matt. 13:24-30, 
36-43) is claimed to be directly against the 
whole theory of excluding bad men from the 
<:hurch. And it must be admitted that a super- 
ficial reading would leave this impression. Bad 
seed were sown in the same field with good, and 
tares sprang up by the side of the wheat. The 
servants came to the master wanting to pull 
out the tares. And he said, "Nay, lest while ye 
gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat 
with them. Let both grow together until the 
harvest ; and in the time of the harvest I will say 
to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, 
and bind them in bundles to bum them; but 
gather the wheat into my barn.'* And so these 
men say that the separation of the bad from the 
good is not to take place here, but at the judg- 
ment. 

By a careful examination of the text we find 
that the "field" in which the seed was sown and 
in which the tares and wheat were found, was 
not the church, but the world. "The field is the 



DEALING WITH OFFENSES 73 

world," says Jesus. Whatever, then, is said 
about the destruction of the tares is applicable 
to the world, and not to the church. It, there- 
fore, has absolutely no connection with the ques- 
tion of church discipline. The purpose of the 
parable was to show the true relation of the 
church to the world. There was to be no war of 
extermination. The sword of the Spirit, and 
not the sword of Caesar, was to be the weapon 
of warfare; and every effort from that day to 
this to extend the kingdom of heaven by means 
of the sword is a violation of this principle. The 
idea is toleration as against persecution, and a 
wise patience with the wicked who are always 
about us. 

Those who thus misinterpret the parable lose 
sight of four important points: i. That church 
discipline is taught in other parts of the New 
Testament (Matt. i8: 17; i Cor. 5:5; 2 Thess. 
3:6). These passages show that both Christ 
and his apostles taught it in language too clear 
to be misunderstood. 2. They misunderstand 
the primary purpose of church discipline. It is 
for the saving of men, and not for their de- 
struction. Sometimes it is necessary to cast a 
man out, but even then it is in the hope that 
"his soul may be saved in the day of the Lord 
Jesus." 3. They fail to see that those who are 
to pluck up the tares and bind them for burning 



74 THE ELDERSHIP 

are not the officers of the church, but the angels 
of God. 4. They also fail to recognize the fun- 
damental and never-to-be-forgotten fact that 
when the Lord interprets a parable that is an end 
of controversy to the true disciple. 

We will hear some eminent men : 

Philip S chaff: "This passage must not be 
abused and misunderstood so as to undermine 
discipline, which is elsewhere solemnly enjoined 
by Christ and the apostles." 

JV. M. Taylor: "Church discipline is clearly 
enjoined by many passages of the New Testa- 
ment, and no interpretation of any parable may 
be put against that.'' 

Robert Milligan: "Nothing can be more plain- 
ly taught in the Scriptures than that it is the 
duty of the church to withdraw her fellowship 
from every member who persists in a disorderly 
course of conduct." 

Isaac Errett: "The reapers will gather the 
wheat from among the tares; but don't forget 
that the field is the world, not the church, in 
which this separation is made." 

Alexander Campbell: "To cut off an offender 
is good ; to cure him is better ; but to prevent him 
falling is best of all. The Christian spirit and 
system alike inculcate all vigilance in preventing ; 
all expedition in healing offenses, and all firm- 
ness in removing incorrigible offenders." 



CHAPTER IX. 

APPEx\LS. 

The right of appeal is inherent in human life, 
and is fundamental in all good government. In 
the government of the family, the school, the 
State, everywhere, this right must be recognized, 
or all such government is both a mockery and a 
tyranny. The oppressed, the persecuted and the 
neglected must have a hearing. In the case of 
the first murder (Gen. 4:1-15), while Abel's 
lips were silent in death, his blood appealed to 
God from the ground, and the appeal was heard 
and heeded, and the oppressor was punished. 
And John says (Rev. 6:9, 10), when the fifth 
seal was opened: "I saw under the altar the 
souls of them who were slain for the word of 
God, and for the testimony which they held : and 
they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 
O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and 
avenge our blood on them that dwell on the 
earth ?" And so the Book opens and closes with 
the appeals of the oppressed. And all along be- 
tween these two far-separated periods the same 

picture is often seen. 

75 



76 THE ELDERSHIP 

And yet there are those who say that when 
the local church passes sentence on an offender 
it is final, and henceforth he must be as ''a 
heathen man and a publican." If so, that local 
congregation ought to be infallible, for suprem- 
acy of authority, without infallibility, would be 
a terror from which all thoughtful men would 
instinctively flee, and the church, instead of be- 
ing a magnet, drawing men to her loving bosom, 
would be a monster, driving them farther and 
farther away. No intelligent man should be ex- 
pected to surrender this natural right. And if 
the New Testament church in her discipline does 
not recognize and preserve this right, she fails to 
meet a universal want of the world, and thus 
shows that she is not divine. 

Alexander Campbell, discussing this question 
in 1841, lays down five propositioins to which 
we call special attention : 

1. "The kingdom of Christ, sometimes called 
his church, is one great community composed of 
all the particular communities and individual 
persons that have acknowledged and received 
Jesus of Nazareth as the Son and Messiah of 
God — as the only Head, King, Lawgiver and 
Arbiter of angels and men. 

2. "All the particular congregations that com- 
pose this great congregation, this general assem- 
bly, called 'the kingdom of God,' 'the holy na- 



APPEALS 77 

tion/ are responsible to one another and to 
the Lord, as much as the individual members 
of any one of them are to one another and to 
the Lord. 

3. "Congregations therefore are under certain 
obligations and owe certain duties to one an- 
other, the faithful discharge of which is indis- 
pensable to that free and cordial communion 
and co-operation essential to the holiness of the 
church and the triumph of the gospel in the 
world. 

4. "Among these obligations and duties are, 
the maintenance of the doctrine and discipline 
of Christ's kingdom, and a due regard for all 
the acts and decisions of one another; because 
a neglect of the former and a disparagement 
of the latter would necessarily destroy that 
union, communion and co-operation essential to 
the designs of Christ's kingdom. 

5. "When, then, any particular congregation 
offends against the constitution of the Messiah's 
kingdom by denying the doctrine, by neglecting 
the discipline, or by maladministration of the 
affairs of Christ's church, essentially affecting 
the well-being of individual members or other 
congregations, then said church is to be judged 
by the eldership of other churches, or by some 
other tribunal than her own, as an accused or 
delinquent member of a particular congregation 



78 THE ELDERSHIP 

is to be tried by the constituted eldership of his 
own congregation." 

The only one of these propositions liable to 
rejection is the last one. The other four will 
meet with so little objection that universal ac- 
ceptance may be claimed for them. And so v/e 
address ourself to a defense of the fifth and 
last proposition. 

When Christ said, "Upon this rock I will build 
my church," he did not mean a local church. A 
local church is a church, but it is not the church. 
A local church is made up of the faithful fol- 
lowers of the Christ in a single community, but 
the church is composed of all such followers in 
all communities. Texas is an important part of 
the United States, but it is only a part of this 
great nation; and it is so related to the other 
parts that it has no right to do or permit any- 
thing within her local limits that will injure 
these other parts. Alexander Campbell says: 
"No community called a church is absolutely in- 
dependent of the church of God, but amenable to 
the whole church for its administration of its 
affairs." 

President Milligan says: "Whenever any one 
of them (local churches) is in danger of being 
corrupted or destroyed by false teaching, mal- 
administration, or anything else, it is the imper- 
ative duty of other churches to interfere, in a 



APPEALS 79 

prudent way, for its safety. This is plainly and 
positively required by the mutual relations that 
they all sustain to each other as members of the 
body of Christ." 

In the light of the advice of these two emi- 
nent men, which we will show is in strict accord 
with the teaching of the Book, two vital ques- 
tions are settled: i. If a local congregation has 
troubles which for any good cause could be 
better dealt with by others, she has a right to so 
refer them. Also, if some individual, or indi- 
viduals, believe they have been mistreated by the 
local congregation, they have the same right. 
Caesar often grants '*a change of venue/' and 
there are times when the church ought to do 
it. Where prejudice and passion run high, and 
personal feeling is strong, it is difficult to get 
justice. 2. But if the local congregation has 
troubles which threaten the life of the church at 
large, and she refuses to deal with them, then 
it becomes the duty of the church to interfere, 
and, in the spirit of the Master, and according to 
the law of self-preservation, to endeavor to right 
the wrong. If a deadly cancer should develop 
on the nose, and that member of the body should 
neglect or refuse to take proper steps for its 
destruction, then the hands, the feet and the 
other members surely ought to do so. The 
church is compared to a body with Christ as the 



82 THE ELDERSHIP 

them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, 
and certain other of them, should go up to Jeru- 
salem unto the apostles and elders about this 
question. And being brought on their way by 
the church, they passed through Phenice and 
Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gen- 
tiles: and they caused great joy unto all the 
brethren. And when they were come to Jeru- 
salem, they were received of the church, and of 
the apostles and elders, and they declared all 
things that God had done with them. But there 
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who 
believed, saying. That it was needful to circum- 
cise them, and to command them to keep the 
law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came 
together to consider this matter." 

We admit that this passage has been made 
the proof-text of some very great errors. All 
manner of councils, conferences, conventions and 
associations have looked to it for authority. It 
has been tortured in ways without number, and 
made to teach much that is hostile to Christian- 
ity. But despite all this, it is of the utmost im- 
portance, and we must not suffer its abuse to 
rob us of its legitimate use. 

The Pharisees had been among Christ's bit- 
terest enemies during his personal ministry, as 
they were of the apostles during the first years 
of the young church's history. But some of 



APPEALS 83 

them seem not only to be in the church, but they 
are influential there. They came down to An- 
tioch, the first Gentile church in the world, and 
attempted to bind the yoke of Judaism upon the 
brethren. Paul and Barnabas, being set for the 
defense of the gospel, contended earnestly for 
the faith, like true leaders often have to do. 
They could not settle the matter there, and so 
they got it referred to Jerusalem for further in- 
vestigation at the hands of the apostles and 
elders in the old mother church. 

There were strong reasons for this appeal: 
I. Jerusalem was the original church, and there- 
fore a place of much authority in Christianity, 
as it had always been in Judaism. 2. Most of 
the apostles were there, and many Christians 
who had known Christ in his earthly ministry, 
and had often heard his teaching, and witnessed 
his wonderful works. 3. Paul as an apostle, 
having been born out of due time, would not 
likely be acknowledged by these Judean brethren 
as an apostle, but they would so recognize those 
at Jerusalem. 

Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by other 
brethren representing the Antioch church, went 
to Jerusalem, and were cordially received by the 
church, the elders and the apostles ; and when 
they reported the things that God had done with 
them, a meeting was appointed, "and the apos- 



82 THE ELDERSHIP 

them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, 
and certain other of them, should go up to Jeru- 
salem unto the apostles and elders about this 
question. And being brought on their way by 
the church, they passed through Phenice and 
Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gen- 
tiles: and they caused great joy unto all the 
brethren. And when they were come to Jeru- 
salem, they were received of the church, and of 
the apostles and elders, and they declared all 
things that God had done with them. But there 
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who 
believed, saying, That it was needful to circum- 
cise them, and to command them to keep the 
law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came 
together to consider this matter." 

We admit that this passage has been made 
the proof -text of some very great errors. All 
manner of councils, conferences, conventions and 
associations have looked to it for authority. It 
has been tortured in ways without number, and 
made to teach much that is hostile to Christian- 
ity. But despite all this, it is of the utmost im- 
portance, and we must not suffer its abuse to 
rob us of its legitimate use. 

The Pharisees had been among Christ's bit- 
terest enemies during his personal ministry, as 
they were of the apostles during the first years 
of the young church's history. But some of 



APPEALS 83 

them seem not only to be in the church, but they 
are influential there. They came down to An- 
tioch, the first Gentile church in the world, and 
attempted to bind the yoke of Judaism upon the 
brethren. Paul and Barnabas, being set for the 
defense of the gospel, contended earnestly for 
the faith, like true leaders often have to do. 
They could not settle the matter there, and so 
they got it referred to Jerusalem for further in- 
vestigation at the hands of the apostles and 
elders in the old mother church. 

There were strong reasons for this appeal: 
I. Jerusalem was the original church, and there- 
fore a place of much authority in Christianity, 
as it had always been in Judaism. 2. Most of 
the apostles were there, and many Christians 
who had known Christ in his earthly ministry, 
and had often heard his teaching, and witnessed 
his wonderful works. 3. Paul as an apostle, 
having been born out of due time, would not 
likely be acknowledged by these Judean brethren 
as an apostle, but they would so recognize those 
at Jerusalem. 

Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by other 
brethren representing the Antioch church, went 
to Jerusalem, and were cordially received by the 
church, the elders and the apostles; and when 
they reported the things that God had done with 
them, a meeting was appointed, "and the apos- 



84 THE ELDERSHIP 

ties and elders came together to consider this 
matter.'' They did not come together to decide 
the question by a dictum from some superior 
authority, but to investigate it, and reach a con- 
clusion as we would to-day. The church was 
face to face with the most difficult problem in 
her history, and they were grappling with it as 
such. The apostles were not acting under the 
plenary inspiration by which they did most of 
their work. If so, no considering and discussion 
would have been necessary. But for this special 
case they stood on the same plane with the 
elders, without supernatural light, and, as they 
sometimes did (i Cor. 7:25), passed judgment 
in the matter. God saw fit at times to have these 
great leaders, without special revelation, inves- 
tigate and advise as other men. Their decision, 
after much discussion (not "disputing," v. 7), 
was approved by the church (v. 22), and by the 
Holy Spirit (v. 28), and it was placed in the 
hands of chosen men, distinguished for their de- 
votion to God (v. 25), and scattered broadcast 
among the brethren. 

Two important deductions can be drawn from 
this case: 

I. This is no precedent for a permanent and 
authoritative council in the church, such as we 
now see in Christendom, to which cases can be 
appealed regularly, much as cases are appealed 



APPEALS 85 

to our Supreme Court. There is not the sUght- 
est intimation that these apostles, elders and the 
Jerusalem church claimed any ecclesiastical 
authority over the church at Antioch, or any- 
where else. They did not claim that it was their 
right to have such cases referred to them. They 
were not lording it over God's heritage. But 
this was a special case, and they were a special 
council to which it had been appealed. The 
whole thing was an attempt to meet a grave 
emergency, and not a precedent for a permanent 
court of final appeal in the kingdom of God. 

2. But it is a precedent for brethren in Christ, 
under certain conditions, to appeal to other 
brethren to aid them in settling serious troubles, 
when they find themselves unable to settle them 
at home. Alexander Campbell says: 

"The fifteenth chapter of Acts estabUshes a 
principle of reference, or appeal in all difficult 
cases, to the presbytery of a different church or 
churches, and authorizes such elders to come 
together to consider and decide the matter. It 
does not institute stated, annual, biennial or tri- 
ennial synods, councils or conventions, but it in- 
stitutes a special conference or convention when 
exigencies may require." 

It is interesting to know that this address sent 
out on this occasion is the oldest thing in the 
New Testament. It is older than the Gospels, 

(7) 



86 THE ELDERSHIP 

the Epistles or Revelation. It circulated first as 
a separate document, but was finally incorpora- 
ted into the Book of Acts. It claims for itself 
inspiration (v. 28) and /s designated by the two 
titles "epistles" (v. 30) and "decrees" (16:4). 



CHAPTER X. 

THE LORD'S SUPPER. 

It is very difficult for man in the flesh to 
grasp a purely spiritual idea, and hence the Lord 
has always used material media in his teaching. 
This is probably not true of the angels and the 
redeemed in heaven; and it will not be true of 
us when we join them in the heavenly life, for, 
then, having left all of the material in the 
grave, we will need no such aids. Then we will 
"see as we are seen, and know as we are known" 
(i Cor. 13: 12). But for the present the picture 
to the eye and the sound to the ear are two of 
the chief gateways through which the chariot of 
wisdom has to approach us. 

Signs and symbols are coextensive with the 
history of man. They were present with the 
first pair in Eden before their fall. During the 
Patriarchal age following they were used in 
lavish abundance. A beautiful example was that 
of the tabernacle, the portable place of worship 
during the wanderings in the wilderness. The 
altars, the table of showbread, the candlestick, 

87 



«8 THE ELDERSHIP 

the vail, the ark of the covenant, and the cher- 
ubim, all, with mute but mighty eloquence, told 
the story of redemption and the after life. 

But even after four thousand years of such 
instruction, when much progress had been made, 
after all the work of prophets, priests and poets,. 
after all the history of the Old Testament, this 
method of instruction was continued. And 
hence, on the night when he was betrayed, "And 
as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed 
it, and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, and 
said. Take, eat; this is my body. And he took 
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them,, 
saying. Drink, ye, all of it; for this is my blood 
of the new testament, shed for many for the 
remission of sins. This is my body broken for 
you: this do in remembrance of me ; and this cup 
is the new testament in my blood: this do ye^ 
as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 
For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this 
cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come"^ 
(Matt. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:24-26). 
The supper, then, is threefold in its purpose: 
I. It is commemorative. **This do in remem- 
brance of me.'' We all shrink from the thought 
of being forgotten. This is why we carve our 
names on the trees and rocks, and give to others 
tokens to help hold our place in their hearts. 
It is this also that rears the lofty monument, and 



THE LORD'S SUPPER » 

marks the simple slab by our graves. Jesus tX)ok 
upon himself our natures, and he, too, shrank 
from the doleful thought of being forgotten. 
And he would be remembered at his best. This 
was not in the rich symbolism of Judaism; it 
was not in the glowing pictures of prophecy; it 
was not in his lowly birth in the manger ; it was 
not when, as the Prince of preachers, "he spake 
as never man spake;" it was not when he 
wrought his marvelous miracles: driving the 
fever away with a word, cleansing the leper with 
a touch, calming the wild winds and waves with 
his voice, and speaking the dead into life; it was 
not the transfiguration scene, when, for a mo- 
ment, he was robed in all the glory of his former 
life with the Father ; but it was his death on the 
cross, when the work of saving a lost world was 
finished. Whatever else we forget, we must 
not forget this. Others may magnify his life, 
and minify his death, but we can not. With 
Paul, we must always say, "I determined to 
know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and 
him crucified'' (i Cor. 2:2). 

2. It is symbolic, "This is my body — ^this is 
my blood." You point to a picture on the wall, 
and say, "This is my father." Not your real 
father, but a picture of him. This is not a pic- 
ture of the form and face of the Lord, but of his 
loving heart, as he freely gave his life for us. 



90 THE ELDERSHIP 

And as the material body can not live without 
food and drink, neither can the spiritual body 
without feeding upon the Christ. These sym- 
bols, then, are stepping-stones by which we climb 
up into a higher and holier realm and hold sweet 
communion with our God. 

3. It is prophetic, "As often as ye eat this 
bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's 
death till he come." Calvary is not the end. It 
is only the awful climax of the first part of the 
drama of salvation. The curtain is to rise again, 
when the whole scene will be changed. Then 
there will be no mockery and nails and spears 
and thorns; there will be no bloody hands and 
feet and temples and side; there will be no 
broken heart and agonizing cry for help, and 
there will be no darkness and no death. But 
our glorious King, in all the majesty and might 
and glory of heaven, will come again without a 
sin-offering for salvation, to claim his own and 
lift them up into the clouds to be with him for- 
ever. On that day, after his resurrection, when 
he was taken up in a cloud and passed out of 
the sight of his sorrowing disciples, the angels 
said to them, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye 
gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, who 
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come 
in like manner as ye have seen him go into 
heaven" (Acts i: 11). And Paul, twenty years 



THE LORD'S SUPPER 91 

later, said, "The Lx)rd himself shall descend 
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of 
the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: 
and the dead in Christ shall rise first." 

This was the one always-present element in 
the meetings of the apostolic church. Often 
they had no sermon, but the Supper was never 
absent. "Upon the first day of the week, when 
the disciples came together to break bread, Paul 
preached unto them, ready to depart on the mor- 
row; and continued his speech until midnight'^ 
(Acts 20: 7). This passage shows that the early 
Christians met on the Lord's Day to break the 
loaf. This was their prime purpose. Paul's 
preaching was incidental. When this ordinance 
was established nothing was said as to the fre- 
quency of its observance. And had nothing 
more been said, each congregation would have 
been left to its own judgment in the matter. 
But the apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, in 
this as in other matters left indefinite by the 
Saviour's personal instruction, have given us 
light, and that light becomes our law. Salvation 
was to be found only in the blood of Christ, and 
so the cross, like the brazen serpent, was always 
lifted up that all men might see it and be saved. 

And here to-day the eldership should faith- 
fully follow their example. There may be no 
sermon, or that which is worse, the sermon may 



92 THE ELDERSHIP 

be bad; then they must see that these sacred 
emblems save the day. The sermon may be so 
"learned" as to amount to an unknown tongue 
to the hearer; then the loaf and the cup must 
speak in words which all can comprehend. The 
sermon may be so '^profound'' and lofty that the 
lambs of the flock are left without food; then 
the supper in its simplicity must feed them. 
The sermon may be so critical and cold that the 
pew is left shivering in doubt; then the cross, 
throbbing with life and love, must come to the 
rescue. The preacher may be in an ugly mood 
and he may quarrel at the people instead of 
preaching the Christ ; then the sacred memorials 
of the loving Lord, like oil upon troubled waters, 
must soothe their souls and send them away in 
peace. 

How shall the eldership get the best results 
from the Lord's Supper service? This question 
is of great importance. 

I. Not by another sermon. This might be 
characterized as the "besetting sin" of many 
elders. And usually, in proportion to their in- 
ability to speak to edification is their desire to 
deliver a long preachment. This of all times 
is the worst for such a sermon. Many of the 
people have already spent an hour in the Bible 
school, and more than an hour in the following 
service, and hence are wearied in both body and 



THE LORD'S SUPPER W. 

mind, and incapable of appreciating even an in- 
teresting and valuable discourse. 

2. Not by faultfinding. There are times and 
places when our faults should be pointed out and 
condemned, but not here. It is as much a duty 
to condemn the wrong as it is to commend the 
right, but a death scene is not the place for that 
condemnation. In the case of literal death, what 
could be more inappropriate than such a lecture ? 
At this time, if the heart be not filled with 
love and tenderness, let the lips be silent 

3, But by making it a fitting climax of the 
morning service. This is not always done, nor 
is it easily done, but it can be done. By the care- 
ful observance of the following rules it can be 
accomplished: (i) Come to the table in a wor^ 
shipful spirit. Come from the closet of private 
prayer to the church; speak to God before you 
speak to men; confess all your sins and have 
them forgiven before you touch these sacred 
symbols. If for any cause you can not do this, 
it would be well to change plaices with some 
brother elder for the day. (2) Let your words 
be few and well chosen. As a rule the people 
understand the purpose of the institution, and 
so do not need much instruction. What is more 
impressive in the death of some dear one than 
to lift the white sheet and let the living look 
on their dead ? In this case silence is more than 



S4 THE ELDERSHIP 

speech, and the sad vision more than all elo- 
quence. As Mark Antony, by the side of dead 
Caesar, said, "I tell you that which you your- 
selves do know: Show you sweet Csesar's 
wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths, and bid them 
speak for me." (3) Appeal to the heart rather 
than to the head. A missionary was sent to ex- 
amine some converts who, since their conversion, 
liad learned to read. She asked one, a plain vil- 
lage woman, to tell a Bible story. She chose the 
story of the crucifixion. And as she told it, it 
had a pathos and power and beauty never before 
seen or felt by the missionary. And when she 
came to where they drove the nails through his 
hands, she wept aloud, and threw her arms about 
the neck of her teacher, and said, "I can not 
go any further — it will break my heart!" (4) 
Sound the note of hope. Of course we will sor- 
row as we look upon bloody Calvary, and hear 
the cries of the suffering Saviour, but we sor- 
row not *^as others who have no hope." Some 
men are greater in death than in life. The living 
Christ was mighty, but the dying Christ was 
mightier. The Captain of our salvation had to 
be made perfect through suffering; the corner- 
stone of the temple of hope had to be tried in 
the fire before it was fit for the building. Christ 
could save others, but he could not save himself. 
He must die in order that he might live, and 



THE LORD'S SUPPER 95 

reign and rule as the Lord of lords and the 
King of kings, and bring Ufe and immortality 
to light through the gospel. His blood, like the 
blood of his martyrs, is the seed of the church 
and the hope of the world. (5) Connect the 
sermon and the Supper. In a good sermon this 
can be easily done. Indeed, the sermon will 
shape the talk at the table. In a sermon which 
could not be called "good," the elder who is a 
good hearer, and who possesses only average 
ingenuity, can find some thought with which the 
two can be united. But whatever the sermon, 
by all means, if possible, let there be no deep 
chasm between that and the Supper; let it be 
one continuous service, with the latter as the 
dome to the temple, as the finale to the sym- 
phony. 

This writer remembers with gratitude an elder 
who could do to perfection the thing we advo- 
cate. He was a judge on the bench, a cultured 
gentleman of fine spirit, and a devout Christian. 
I was preaching for a little congregation in a 
small river town in Missouri, and my sermons 
were crude, as was plainly evident to most of 
the people. But the good judge usually presided 
at the table, and his talks, always brief and help- 
ful, so connected them with the Supper that the 
joint service was one harmonious whole. I have 
grown older since that day and have preached to 



96 THE ELDERSHIP 

large churches at important places and have 
been associated with many elders, but never have 
I seen one like the judge. And a thousand 
times since, when some man was undoing all 
the good of my discourse with his harangue at 
the table, have I longed and prayed for the 
multiplication of the progeny of this ideal elder. 
Let no one infer from this that I do not ap- 
preciate the eldership, for this is far from the 
truth. But there are elders and elders, just as 
it is with the preachers. Webster was not far 
wrong when, after being bored by an ignorant 
preacher, he said that one of the unanswerable 
arguments in favor of Christianity was that it 
had succeeded in spite of its pulpit. The faith- 
ful elder has had much to do with the growth 
of Christianity. This is seen in the history of 
the Restoration movement. Groups of scattered 
brethren have generally been first called to- 
gether to "break the loaf." These brethren, led 
by some modest and faithful elder, have been 
true to the Lord, and he has blessed them. He 
could not conduct a preaching service, but he 
could, and did, preside at the table, and encour- 
aged his brethren until the few became many, 
and the weak became strong, and a house was 
built and a great church was established. This 
was true in a multitude of cases. And finally,. 
when we see things as they are seen in heaven„ 



THE LORD'S SUPPER 97 

we will discover that the unknown elder who 
did such work was a more important factor in 
the growth of Christianity than we ever dreamed 
of. And who can estimate the value of the 
thousands of such men, in the large churches 
as well as the small ones, and at the heart of the 
brotherhood as well as on the frontier, who are 
giving the Lord their lives in the most unstinted 
and unselfish way? 



MAR 30 1912 



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